A Look Back on Valentine's Day

I know many a person who says "Valentine's Day is stupid" or "Valentine's Day is a conspiracy for luxury goods businesses to sell their stuff" or they simply just call it "FML Day."

But what is so bad about it, the love that flows on February 14th each and every year adds to the strong bonds we can share as a society. Perhaps it's not the love that brings us together, but the hatred for those whom have that love we desire.

I don't stop to think twice about the holiday. It's a holiday and it means something to me, despite being single. I can celebrate the love I have for friends.

To learn about what Valentine's Day is meant to mean, I looked to good ol' Wikipedia. I already knew that it is actually Saint Valentine's Day, so I have a leg up on most people I know.

What I learned is that the real market of Valentine's Day started in a women's house in Worcester, MA. I don't know if that's verifiable but nor was I truly interested in this.

My love affair with the information came from the content describing the 19th century courtships-when love was truly a romantic endeavor. This is how life should be. Hand-written notes sent in secrecy to another person to express the desire, the deep desires to have that person in your longing arms.

It doesn't seem real that the first physical valentine we have to look to today is from the early 15th century, that's 1400-over 600 years ago. Love has existed for so much longer. So many people keep the love notes passed to them years ago in a box under their bed. I'm sure many centuries ago women did the same. Love affairs sprung about in the royal kingdoms, forbidden by the King or Queen for their son's and daughters. Love was truly an affair, something extravagant, something that was ready to bloom but wasn't allowed to in many cases. Lust was the true form of entertainment and marriage back then. Love was only shown to those whom it affected. Men of power weren't allowed to show their deep love for their wives to make it known they weren't weakened by such emotion.

Much is different today. We look higher upon those whom have strong bonds with close ones. Love is now abused. We find that one person and then abuse that love by cheating or wishing to. Neither is okay. Let love strengthen your bonds, don't let it tempt your mind with the things you shouldn't want but seem to crave. Love is what one deeply desires and without love, one's heart will seem like a waning wasteland.