It marks the end of the second week of the second month of any year. But, the day stands singled out to get marked as a time when Love gets rejoiced every time it touches the calendarly human minds on many of its rambles round the sun.
They call it The Valentine's Day. February 14, xxxx AD.
The celebration apparently marks the birthday of a Mr. Valentine. Presumably a wise man, who was conferred an extra "hood" for his "saintly" gestures that was not quite possible to be executed by the lame mortals.
Records suggest numerous early Christian martyrs were named 'Valentine'.The namesakes, who are privileged to get remembered on Feb. (a score minus half a dozen, tickle your arithmetic) are Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni.
There was this Roman priest -- who was martyred about AD 269 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. This immortal's mortal relics lie at the Church of Saint Praxed, Rome and at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland.
The other mister was an inhabitant of Terni, who became a bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) about AD 197 and was martyred during the persecution under Emperor Aurelian. His soul also rests on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location than Valentine of Rome.
Hail thee Valentines... I consciously as well as cautiously admit I couldn't manage know more about you, though accompanied by mie fellow humans I sheepishly get to celebrate your birthdays, which leaves me a scope to "deliver emotions" at mie own valentine(s) door in the form of some unearthly nothings, be it in whatever way - "ferns n petals" both. But mind you, this is no way selfless. We take the sweet initiative to call it a valentine and send hugs and kisses only to nurture at the back of our minds, that, let the "florish-networks" flourish and let the dove bring me atleast a leaf or a bark from mie Valentine, who stays in mie heart but, perhaps,resides somewhere else geographically.
The first gratified association of Valentine's Day with Romantic Love is in 'Parlement of Foules' penned by Geoffrey Chaucer in 1382.
Chaucer wrote: "For this was on seynt Volantynys day, Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make." [For this was Saint Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate.]
However, I would prefer not to follow Chaucer in his league and would smartly disintegrate mieself in ideas to integrate "mating" with this particular date. Even if I do, I do not want to make mieself feel "Lonely ! I'm so Lonely... There's no 'bird'-ie to call mie own..."
Rest assured, I too queue up with mie fellow beings who make up the mankind and hail selfless love in its true Valentino spirit and score a goal with the straightness of mie scissor kick, cutting thru' the heart of a knowledgeable being of opposite sex much ahead of any cute little cupid striking her with his own galore.
However, Love comes lovely to those, whose greenbacks love their wallets. Worsening poses the world who can't afford that. And, their face is all the more uglier who dwell in the germinating "countries" of the globe-seed, which is still "developing".
The valentines' thing is historically new to the fastest developing portion of the seed called India. India, a nation more than a billion people strong, with a quarter living below the poverty line and where food inflation is almost touching a score percent.
"When Valentine's fever first struck India, it did result in a retail frenzy, but who'd have thought it would reach a whopping `12,000 crore (120 billion)? The aim of the study (done by ASSOCHAM Social Development Foundation (ASDF) from December 2010-January 2011) was to ascertain the extent of over-spending among lovers to make their loved ones feel special. And it seems that love birds splurge on Valentine's Day like there's no tomorrow," once read the country's leading newsdaily TOI on the D-Date.
Be blessed Mister Valentine(s), you are certainly not alone to get nurtured atleast once a year as a result of brimming Dopamine or Norepinephrine inside the brains of a two-legged-creature prancing on the planet with 'n' number of ways and means. The seven consecutive 24-hours preceding the Love Date lately has to go through the sweet torture in respective mirths and individualistic gaiety.
As a modern, outgoingly-advanced, dot-com-skewed global Indian, one should equip himself with a 'Rose' - the hybrids last the longest, though one may have to compromise with the smell; plan a formal and truly romantic 'Propose'; as Cadburys reminds that it's gonna be a 'shubharambh' - thus prompting to get a nicely decked 'Chocolate' - the bigger, the better. Then, taking into consideration one's wise enough to know how to instigate a soft corner in one's own valentine's heart, the only thing to be resorted to is none other a thing than a soft-toy. Softer the 'Teddy' that the Archies will manage to get, softer will be the corner assured in a Betty or a Veronica's heart. As smarter the approach gets, or perhaps, as mellow the mint gets sprayed, the rational animal gets pursuaded to "Be 'Kiss' Ready" and take his valentine in a tantalizing French valour. And finally, as is alwayz the case for a happily-ever-after story, he gets to 'Hug' his Valentine and the sun takes a plunge in the sea at the backdrop.
Hence, to make sure not to overlook even a slightest intricacy in the festivity of Love and Care, these virtually fastening fascinations are juxtaposed in an orderly fashion, which leads to dedicating each and every one of them a day to be experienced - 'the seven wonder'ful things marks the seven preceding days. Till the Valentine brings the day, which holds up all the feelings, sentiments, emotions in one joyful glee drenched in LOVE.
I stand nowhere close to salvation, nor do I stand te be declared a saint to decipher how Love is to be treated - what keeps it not just alive but lively - how and when to vouch for it. You need not be a Ritchie Rich or a Johny Bravo to have a Valentine. Alladin too got Jasmine and Tarzan, his Jane - remember!
So, go ahead and get splurged in all the pink emotions, as the season has been painted. If you still don't have a clue how to go about it, Cupid's on its way to strike you through and through, as in this regard and at this time ignorance about the celebration of LOVE is truly not a bliss. May you drown in caress or may you sink in cares - Love and get LOVED.
