Posted on : 12th January 2011
There are some occasions which are not specific to a country or region in which they are recognised. One of such 'days' that signify the importance of an individual or a relationship among a group of people is Valentines day. It is occasions such as these that have lost their religious or cultural influences (if any to begin with) along the way.

St. Valentines Day – The Festival with a Religious Origin
Valentine's day is universally understood to have its roots in Christianity. The most popular version relating to its origins dates to early history of the church. A Christian priest, St. Valentine who helped lovers to get married during the rein of Roman Emperor Claudius in 270 AD. There are many more such stories which prove that Valentines day has its roots in early Italian society. But, with passing time and over the centuries, even this occasion has moved onto being celebrated across countries so much so that cultures and boundaries became irrelevant.

Valentine's day is one of those Christian festivals that the early church adopted thus also giving it a religious flavour. In fact, even when Valentines day had become popular across Europe and North America, it retained its feel of being a private affair complete with all the elements of a chivalrous love.

The Day That Celebrates Love
Even till late nineteenth century, the significance of Valentine's day was limited to people expressing their love to the love of their life. It was a day to court one's love with a tender letter, a poem or private gift. This was a holiday for lovers only, unlike today when it has became a day for public declarations of love amid all the elements of commercialization sweeping in.

This changed somewhere in the nineteenth century when the significance of Valentines day shifted to those of it being a day celebrating all facets of love. One could now associate it with feelings of love, care and affection for those who made their lives special. Of course, giving everyone the opportunity to express their friendship with those close to them in no way diminishes the sensuous and romantic aspects of valentines day for those who associate it with romance. If anything, the new aspects of the holiday have made it easier for the shy, the timid and those lacking natural grace and eloquence to take advantage of the availability of gifts which are also tokens of love. The range of Valentines day gifts includes chocolates in fancy heart shaped boxes, beautiful ready-made bouquets of flowers and cards of all kinds inscribed with poetry composed by professionals to convey their feelings of love and romance.

Present Day Context
Valentines day is one of the most popular celebrations across the world. The reason is fairly simple. This is an occasion that has gradually evolved into a day that observes one of the most beautiful of all human relationships, love. It asks us to discover all those universal feelings and emotions that are somewhere representative of love Today this occasion has come to be recognised and accepted for this very quality.