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Whether one loves it or loathes it, St Valentine’s Day has arrived - in Luxembourg and many places around the world.
14 February is the day to celebrate love, romance, affection and friendship. Romantic love, however, takes centre stage, as young and not so young eagerly await the arrival of flowers, chocolates, gifts and cards.
But who was Saint Valentine and why is he associated with the most romantic day of the year? It so turns out that there are, in fact, several St Valentines recognised by the Catholic church who can claim 14 February as their feast day.
One legend states that St Valentine was a priest in third century Rome, at a time when young couples were forbidden to marry. The emperor of the era, Claudius II, believed that unmarried soldiers fought better than married ones, as they did not have the fear of leaving a wife and children behind if they died in battle. St Valentine married couples in secret, defying the emperor who duly executed him on 14 February, around the year 269AD.
However, some scholars say that this St Valentine is not the one our Valentine’s Day is named after and that the honour belongs to a bishop, St Valentine of Terni, who was also executed by Claudius II.
Another theory is that St Valentine was someone who helped Christians escape from Roman prisons and was sentenced to death as a result. While awaiting his fate in prison he met and fell in love with his jailer’s daughter. Prior to being executed he wrote her a love letter, which was signed “from your Valentine”.
St Valentine’s Day may have its origins in the Roman festival, Lupercalia, held each year in mid-February. This pagan festival celebrated fertility and was also known as “dies februatus” (day of purification), which is how the month of February got its name. The history.com website notes that “unlike [today’s] Valentine’s Day, however, Lupercalia was a bloody, violent and sexually charged celebration awash with animal sacrifice, random matchmaking and coupling in the hopes of warding off evil spirits and infertility.”
In 496AD, Pope Gelasius put an end to Lupercalia and proclaimed 14 February as a day to celebrate St Valentine’s martyrdom. As mid-February was also the beginning of the birds’ mating season, coupled with the banned fertility celebration of Lupercalia, the date invariably became synonymous with romance.
St Valentine is, of course, the patron saint of couples, lovers and marriages. But he is also the patron saint of beekeepers, people with epilepsy, those prone to fainting spells and travellers.
The English poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, is believed to have been the first to record St Valentine’s Day as a day of romance. In his 1375 poem “Parliament of Fowls”, he wrote: “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.” The oldest known valentine still in existence today, is a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife, while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.
By the middle of the eighteenth century, the exchange of love notes and gifts had gained popularity. In 1861, British chocolate maker, Cadbury’s, started to package chocolates in heart-shaped boxes, paving the way for the romantic consumerism many are familiar with today. Valentine’s Day is now a big and important business for industries associated with chocolates, flowers, jewellery, dining, hotel stays, and so much more. Even though some negativity towards this commercial celebration exists, with an increasing number of couples choosing not to succumb to the heightened consumerism and inflated prices, it is nevertheless a day to celebrate love.
“Vältesdag” / “Valentinsdag”, as the day is known in the Grand Duchy, may not be a traditional Luxembourg celebration, but is marked by Luxembourgers and expatriates alike. Restaurants offer special “love” menus and fill quickly. Flower shops are bedecked with heart-shaped balloons for one of their busiest days of the year. Champagne or crémant with handmade chocolates are a popular gift. While Luxembourg may not be Paris, watching the sun go down while standing at the most beautiful balcony in Europe at Chemin de la Corniche, with its magnificent view of the Alzette valley, is the perfect way to end a Luxembourg-based Saint Valentine’s Day.
HOM
