Many
people around the world celebrate Valentine's Day but not many people
know about it's origin. Check out what Nigerians are saying about it.
Tuesday, many Nigerians who believe in Valentine’s Day will be
celebrating. Incidentally, many celebrants of Valentine’s Day may or may
not know its historical root. It is widely believed that the history of
Valentine’s Day is obscure, however, several accounts exist.
One of such accounts can be traced to three Romans who incidentally
bore the name Valentine. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, there
were at least three early Christian saints by that name.
One was a priest in Rome, another a bishop in Terni, and the third,
St. Valentine which almost nothing is known about, except that he met
his end in Africa. Astonishingly, all the three Valentines were said to
have been martyred on February 14.
St. Valentine the priest: Nonetheless, many believe that St.
Valentine of the February 14 fame was a priest who attracted the
disfavour of Roman emperor Claudius II around 270 AD. Claudius II had
prohibited marriage for young men, claiming that bachelors made better
soldiers than the married. However, despite the law, Valentine continued
to secretly perform marriage ceremonies among soldiers and was
eventually apprehended by the Romans and put to death on February 14.
Historical origins
Another version states that Valentine, who was imprisoned by
Claudius II, fell in love with the daughter of his jailer. Before he was
executed, he allegedly sent her a letter signed: “from your Valentine.”
A third account, which is probably the most plausible, provides that
St. Valentine was not focused on passionate love, but on Christian love
that claimed his life, as he was martyred for refusing to renounce his
religion.
Valentine and love: In 1969, the Catholic Church revised its
liturgical calendar, removing the feast days of saints whose historical
origins were questionable, thus, St. Valentine became one of the
casualties. However, it was not until the 14th century that this
Christian feast day became definitively associated with love.
According to UCLA medieval scholar, Henry Ansgar Kelly, author of
Chaucer and the Cult of Saint Valentine, it was Chaucer who first linked
St. Valentine’s Day with romance. In this light, Vanguard Learing
sought the meaning of Valentine to students, the extent they go to
celebrate it and its pros and cons in the student community.
Reacting to February 14 as Valentine’s Day, Ebere Ihezie, a second
year student of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka said:
“Valentine’s Day is trending on campus, even more trending than Ponzi
schemes. However, it is trending more with girls than boys. It explains
why they fall for the evil schemes men plot for them on Valentine’s day.
Why wait for one day? “What I do not understand is, why wait
for a singular day before showing love? If you have a partner and are
in a good relationship, I dont believe you should wait for February 14
to show love. Everyday should be valentine day. Valentine is all about
showing love, not only for lovers, but also for anyone worth showing
love to the poor and neglected in the streets and to anyone else.”
For Chinemerem Onuorah, there’s no difference between Valentine’s
day and anyother day. “I am much unlike some people who see that day as
a day set apart for youths to thrive in lust and carelessness. Days
leading to February 14, of every year has media houses hammering on the
meaning of Valentine, and how the right choices should be made, so I
don’t think the mistakes people make on that day are because they
weren’t told. I’m sure people will do whatever they want to do
regardless the amount of information given on the issue.
Unlearnt lessons: “Some years back, a girl died in a hotel in
Lagos during Val day. Though the news went far and wide, it didn’t stop
another girl from falling victim the following year. For youths, they
must not be stupid and reckless in the choices they make. I think the
observance of Val’s day takes place mostly on campuses, because the
campus comprises able-bodied men and women with raging hormones and
appetite for pleasure and misconduct, they’ll want to try, see, and then
regret.”
Speaking in same vein, Victoria Egbe, a student of Benue State University said: “Naturally,
it is normal for youths, especially students, to exaggerate things.
Valentine’s day is a day to show love to the less privileged and others
but youths have made it a day for lovers to have fun and end up doing
unimaginable things and making wrong decisions.”
Outrageous moral laxity
On her part, Chukwudera Eze of UNN said: “The reason for the season
has been boycotted just like the reason for Christmas has also been
changed to the celebration and propagation of material things and lust.
The type of love that is being celebrated on Valentine’s Day is not even
the one St. Valentine exhibited. That is, according to the story of how
Valentine’s day came into existence. It is not quite their fault
because they are trying to fit into the pattern of a society with
outrageous moral laxity.
“Most students see it as a day set apart to celebrate their
partners in a special way, and that special way entails taking him or
her out, and finally having carnal knowledge of the person. This has
made students who do not have anyone to take them out become desperate,
and seek to find one at all cost, because to their misguided minds, any
single person on 14th February isn’t ‘on point.”
Ezra Ihezie, a third year student of Economics from UNN said, “To
me, Valentine is all about hanging out with your best friend,
especially the opposite sex, and appreciating his/her contribution in
your life. Although students have now redefined its meaning and attached
a negative aspect to it. I still believe it has not lost its true
meaning.”
Extreme measures for ‘love’ Secondary school students are not left
out. Chisom Agwu, an SS2 student of one of the mixed federal unity
schools, says students take extreme measures to celebrate Valentine’s
Day.
Security checks
Her words; “I am a boarder and what usually happens in the
dormitory is that the boys send day students to buy wine, chocolate and
teddy bears for their girlfriends. They can’t bring it in at the
beginning of the term because house masters check bags for contraband.
Some day students are worse than boarders, they are too sharp. Security
checks bags at the gate but they still find a way around it. Girls on
the other hand buy things that are not obviously Valentine’s gift. They
buy boxers, singlet, wristwatches, belts etc. Those items are not
contraband.”
On where students get the money, she disclosed; “Some save
their pocket money during the last term and holiday. Some ask uncles and
aunts. They could also inflate prices of books and claim one of their
house wares or pairs of uniform are missing. It is the same for girls
but the expectation is more for boys.
“When the gifts arrive girls’ dorm they begin to compare and
sometimes fights break out. The girl who feels her boyfriend didn’t
package a good enough gift will most likely break up with him after
Valentine.
Working class boyfriends
“Those that do not get gifts, that’s the worst, they break up
dramatically. That’s why girls prefer working class boyfriends or
university boys, they give better gifts that our school boys cannot
compete with. But all those things are illegal. For us in girls’ dorm,
our matron goes round and searches bags after Valentine. She knows what
we do and she is very smart.”
Mafunu David, who attends a private secondary school in Delta State, said; “Being
that we come from home daily, money is not an issue. Sometimes I ask my
mum and she gives me money, but she doesn’t know it is to Val my
girlfriend. I do not think there is anything wrong with appreciating
her."
Rich love packages: “It is just that for us boys, it is
competition. Those that have rich parents buy plenty items in the
Valentine package. Because I am worried that I will not be able to cope,
that is why I don’t have a girlfriend in my school, she attends the
grammar school in my area. Meeting her needs is not so difficult.”
Worried over the lack of information of the true meaning of
Valentine celebration and the abuse of it by students both at the
secondary and tertiary levels, Mrs Yinka Ogunde, founder, Concerned
Parents & Educators Forum said; “Certainly an interesting
question. As I listened to two parents argue this out with passion and
conviction, I realized this is a sensitive area that some parents are
not comfortable with. Whilst some feel that it is important that
children understand the realities of the world they live in, others feel
that the kind of things they are exposed to must be processed. As we
move towards the roses, chocolate, cakes, wine etc of February 14, the
issue is educational institutions need to manage this day in a way that
children would learn something of value from it.”
Okeleke Queen, Former Head, Security Services / Legal Adviser at
Megavons West Africa Limited went against the idea of school children
celebrating Valentine, which according to her, is not our culture. “
I am of the opinion that our children in school should leave Valentine
alone and face their studies and other extra-curricular activities.
Certain questions should be asked here. What is the origin of
Valentine’s Day? How does the celebration impact on their educational
objectives. Are they mature enough to handle Valentine’s Day?
Unnecessary demand
"I have never encouraged my children to partake in it. In
addition to the unnecessary demand made by some schools for students to
go hunting for red clothes and accessories, it is a sheer diversion of
focus, misplaced priority and unwholesome appetite for the white man’s
strange culture. Very soon, we will start celebrating Halloween.”
Focus on the curriculum: Another parent, Helen Essien, Former
Partner at Vincent Essien & Co said Valentine’s day celebrations
should be left out of schools as a result of insufficient time for
teaching. “Schools and teacher’s are always complaining that the
school periods are not enough to cover the official curriculum. This is
so bad that virtually all secondary schools run extension classes for
their students. Stop eroding the school periods any further by
celebrating needless extracurricular events.
“Most homes where these children are coming from celebrate
Valentine’s day anyway, so let’s leave it at that. If a child wants to
personally give a gift to a classmate, let it be done at home so that
the other children don’t feel left out. I have my reservations about a
student giving a teacher Valentine’s day gift. It is prone to abuse
hence it should not be encouraged.” added the legal practitioner.
For Amadi Valentine, a 200 level student of Federal University of
Technology, Owerri, said celebrating Valentine’s Day is all about
genuine love and friendship but it seems some of the youth have abused
it.” Speaking on how he is going to celebrate the day, Amadi said since
getting a date is not a priority, he is going to use the time to
concentrate more on his studies.
Bukola Ashonibare, a Masters student, University of Lagos, she
hardly celebrates Valentine as there is nothing special about it. Her
words, “It is like any other day to me. Every day is supposed to be a
day of love. If a life is filled with love, it will flow on daily
basis.”
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Via Vanguard
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