HBCU Valentine’s Day. Credit: MetaAI
It’s that time of year when couples, friends, and families celebrate the feeling of love. With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching people are searching to find the perfect gifts for their significant others and loved ones. This brings up a point “What is the actual origin of Valentine’s Day?”
According to Britannica, Valentine’s Day also known as Saint Valentine’s Day has “origins in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, held in mid-February. The festival, which celebrated the coming of spring, included fertility rites and the pairing of women with men by lottery. At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I forbid the celebration of Lupercalia and is sometimes attributed with replacing it with St. Valentine’s Day, but the true origin of the holiday is vague at best.”
Pope Gelasius I. Credit: Gettyimages
The way Valentine’s Day is celebrated now did not start until the 14th century, over 10 centuries after Lupercalia was forbidden. Now, people celebrate with small gestures and grand declarations of love.
After interviewing a few college students, it seems that they are finding unique ways to celebrate with and without significant others. Myles Bland, a Norfolk State University (NSU) graduate student says that he is “celebrating his third Valentine’s Day with his girlfriend.”
Bland and his girlfriend have exchanged unique gifts like a handmade crochet pillow, and enjoy “going out and doing something different” each year. To him, Valentine’s Day means “quality time and celebrating love.”
Inaissa Sylla, a student at ECPI University says that this year, her valentine is herself as she “continues her journey of self-love and growth.” To Inaissa Valentine’s Day is a time for “solo dates, self-gifting, relaxing activities, and embracing the love that you have around you.”
Mi’Angel Evans, an Engineering student at NSU, says she is celebrating with her significant other, and “cannot wait to see what is planned.” She believes that Valentine’s Day is a “reminder to show love every day, not just one day.”
Students can also celebrate Valentine’s Day on campus at the Student Organization Fair that will be held on February 14th in the Student Center.
Spartan Echo 