PARDES
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Day
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It
he 14th of February is just a few days
away and lovers all around the world
have already started to plan what they
will do this year to make their partner
happy. Whether or not you are very romantic, you must admit that the spirit of
Valentine’s Day is quite infectious. Some
people wait for nine to 10 months to say
“I love you” to the person whom he/she
most adores on this very special day. The
season is perfect for romance and, considering the amount of money marketers
spend on advertisement campaigns, you
are bound to feel that without love your
life is meaningless.
Have you ever tried to learn who
made this day famous? Well, the credit
goes to one of the legendary poets of
Britain, Geoffrey Chaucer. He composed
a poem named “Parliament of Fouls” in
1380 and, in it, he described the tradition
of Valentine’s Day. This occasion is coined
after a saint called Valentine. He was
imprisoned for not giving up Christianity.
After a long ordeal it was decided that
he must be executed for his disobedience. During his stay in the jail, the jailer’s
daughter used to meet him regularly
and the two fell in love. On the day of his
execution, February 14, before leaving
the prison cell, he wrote a letter to the
jailer’s daughter and signed “from your
Valentine.”
16 PARDES MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2014
The expression is still in use as millions
of lovers often sign their greeting card
using this phrase. However, February 14
was not as hyped as much as it is now. It
took time to gain importance among the
masses. Nowadays, people consider St.
Valentine to be the patron of lovers and
exchange romantic messages to celebrate their love.
There is a question that pops up in
our mind when this day approaches. Is
Valentine’s Day only for loving couples?
The appeal of February 14 is that it celebrates love and love can be celebrated by
everyone. Don’t we love our brothers and
sisters? Don’t we care for our parents?
PARDESMAGAZINE.COM