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EDITORIAL

The Commercialism Of Saint Valentine’s Day

February 13th, 2017

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St Valentine’s Day 2017 is now almost upon us and there is a frenzy of activity in the shops and online as lovers throughout the world prepare to exchange cards, gifts, send flowers or take their loved ones out for romantic meals. But is the commercialism of St Valentine’s Day now so far removed from the original purpose of this Christian festival, that it has become tarnished for many?

Certainly that is not the case if you are a chocolatier, a florist, a jeweller or a restaurateur. St Valentine’s Day is second only to Christmas in terms of the financial success it yields, with over 32,000,000 people (roughly half the population in the UK) marking the day by exchanging a card or a gift and in the USA that figure spirals to 190,000,000 people – which in both countries equates to big business and rich pickings.

The commercial success of the Feast of St Valentine began in early Victorian times, particularly after the re-organisation of Great Britain’s postal system in 1840 and the introduction of the world famous Penny Black. This had the effect of increasing the number of Valentine’s cards sent by 660% to 400,000 and entrepreneurial Victorian’s were soon mass producing these from both paper and lace in factories.

Whilst there is some confusion around who the original St Valentine was, most people now accept he was Saint Valentinus of Rome, a 3rd century priest who was imprisoned and sentenced to death for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted within the Roman Empire, and marrying soldiers in secret ceremonies, after the Emperor Claudius II had outlawed marriage for the army.

Valentinus was interviewed by the Emperor himself, who attempted to convert him to Roman Paganism in exchange for his life being spared, but Valentinus refused. During his time in jail, he was befriended by his jailer Astorius and visited by Julia, Astorius’s daughter, who was blind. Valentinus cured the girl’s blindness and they fell in love, exchanging letters every day.

Valentinus’s execution date was set as February 14th and they exchanged a final letter that day, With Valentinus signing this as ‘Your Valentine’, which is said to be the first ever Valentine’s message. As they say ‘the rest is history’!