When Miley Cyrus was presented with her very first Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, by Mariah Carey at the 2024 Grammys for a song that celebrated self-love, I was not surprised. This song for many months was a global anthem. Many could relate to the lyrics of the song because most have found themselves in a similar situation of breaking up with someone they loved. Since this is Valentine week, there is the need for us to talk about love and the upcoming day that is now globally celebrated.
Globalization brought many trends and fads to different parts of the world disrupting cultures and ways of life. Valentine’s Day is one of these trends that has been exported to the nooks and crannies of the world purportedly celebrating romantic love. Youths who are often the first adopters of most global trends often do not understand the origin, pros and cons of these trends before adopting them.
According to britannica.com, February 14 (Valentine’s Day) is the day when lovers express their affection with greetings and gifts. Given their similarities, it has been suggested that the holiday has origins in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, held in mid-February. The festival, which celebrated the coming of spring, included fertility rites and the pairing off of women with men by lottery.
At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I forbade the celebration of Lupercalia and is sometimes attributed with replacing it with St. Valentine’s Day, but the true origin of the holiday is vague at best. Valentine’s Day did not come to be celebrated as a day of romance until about the 14th century.
Although there were several Christian martyrs named Valentine, the day may have taken its name from a priest who was martyred about 270 CE by the emperor Claudius II Gothicus. According to legend, the priest signed a letter “from your Valentine” to his jailer’s daughter, whom he had befriended and, by some accounts, healed from blindness.
Other accounts hold that it was St. Valentine of Terni, a bishop, for whom the holiday was named, though it is possible the two saints were actually one person. Another common legend states that St. Valentine defied the emperor’s orders and secretly married couples to spare the husbands from war. It is for this reason that his feast day is associated with love.
These days Valentine’s Day is often associated with risky sexual practices that usually do not end well for many. Many lose their virginity, some become pregnant, and others are heartbroken for life because of the lies told them on this day. These are not always the case. Many individuals and couples use this time to refresh their romance and commitment. Some who are not in a relationship use the day to practice self-love like the lyrics of Miley Cyrus suggests.
Self-love, no matter who you are or how you look, has been said to be the foundation for a healthy relationship with another human. So if you are in a relationship or not, use the day to be thankful. If you are reading this article, it means you can read and write, it means you have access to the internet and can use the internet. Be thankful, celebrate yourself and your loved ones that include your parents, siblings, and friends.
Ata Ukuta, Editor – Towncryyers