Celebrating Love Beyond Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day, celebrated yearly on February 14, is a special occasion dedicated to love and affection between intimate partners.

Originating from ancient Roman traditions and evolving through history, this day has transformed into a global celebration of romance.

People express their feelings through gifts, cards, and heartfelt gestures, creating a meaningful way to strengthen bonds and show appreciation for loved ones.

So, love letters, lunch dates, exchange of gifts, love declarations, love and marriage propositions and all manner of love expressions, are part of the celebratory mix for many people.

There are, of course, several people who commendably mark today by reaching out to the poor and underprivileged with food, clothes and other necessities.

There are different accounts of the origin of Valentine’s Day. Some accounts have it that it emanated from the ancient Roman pagan festival of Lupercalia, held yearly on February 15 to celebrate the coming of spring and fertility. It involved animal sacrifice and drunken orgies. In the 5th century AD, Pope Gelasius was said to have outlawed the festival and replaced it with a Christian holiday in the name of Valentine’s Day.

In the Christian account, there is more than one identity for St Valentine and what he did. The Catholic Encyclopedia and other hagiographical sources speak of three Saints Valentine in connection with February 14. One was a Roman priest, another the bishop of Interamna (modern Terni, Italy) both buried along the Via Flaminia outside Rome, at different distances from the city. The third was said to be a saint who suffered on the same day with several companions in the Roman province of Africa, of whom nothing else is known.

There are, of course, other Saints Valentine, whose lives and deaths had nothing to do with February 14. About eleven other saints named Valentine are commemorated in the Catholic Church.

However, the St Valentine most closely associated with the present-day celebration of love is an Italian priest who was martyred on February 14 in the 3rd century AD by Claudius II.

He is regarded as the patron saint of lovers, people with epilepsy, and beekeepers, among other things.

St. Valentine was executed for defying the emperor’s order and secretly performing Christian weddings for couples, allowing the husbands involved to escape conscription into the Roman army. At the time, soldiers were in short supply, so this was a great inconvenience to the emperor, and the priest paid the supreme price when he was caught.

Love is a strong feeling of affection and concern. It is an essential element of human life which can be expressed in many forms, including charity, sacrificial love (like that of Christ), agape love (God’s love to humans and vice versa), filial love (within family members), and patriotism, among others.

True patriotism is often described not just as a feeling, but as a commitment to active service, civic duty, or sacrifice for the nation.

This newspaper recognises that love for one’s country is patriotism and that  is what is sorely needed today in a country like Nigeria bugged down by many socioeconomic challenges.

We know that human history is replete with wars fought on the premise of love.

Historically, leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. emphasised love—not hatred—as the force that could transform societies.

Their movements strengthened national identity by appealing to shared humanity rather than division.

Love strengthens a nation by shaping how its people treat one another, how institutions function, and how leaders make decisions.

We know that while “love” may sound abstract, in practice it shows up as solidarity, responsibility, and shared commitment to the common good.

As people worldwide celebrate romantic love today, we as a newspaper wish to underline the true message of Valentine’s Day,

When citizens care about one another beyond personal gain, divisions based on tribe, religion, class, or politics become less destructive. Social trust increases.

According to research, countries with strong social trust tend to have: Lower crime rates,

more civic participation, and greater political stability.

Nations grow strong when people are willing to contribute—pay taxes honestly, serve in public roles, volunteer, or even defend the country in times of crisis.

This kind of sacrifice isn’t sustained by fear alone; it’s sustained by love of community and country.

Without love, nations may survive through force but with love, they endure through trust and shared purpose.

Also, St Valentine wedded men and women who were desirous of responsible family life. At the time St Valentine went against the authorities to join soldiers in marriages, he was promoting legitimate procreation.

Whether through grand romantic gestures or simple acts of kindness, Valentine’s Day serves as a reminder to celebrate love in all its forms.

Today, as many people step out to celebrate love, we urge them to observe the true spirit of Valentine’s Day: positive, responsible relationships, not illicit romance. After all, it is inspired by, and after, a Catholic saint.