There are many legends regarding the origin of Valentine’s Day. Some agree that it arose during the Roman Empire, when Emperor Claudius II excluded soldiers from marriage, thinking that it would diminish their performance during battles. It was then that a Christian priest by the name of Saint Valentine, considering this an unjust act, defied the mandate by celebrating the marriage between young lovers clandestinely.
Some versions believe that the date February 14 was established by Pope Gelasio I between 496 and 498AD to honor Saint Valentine. It was thus evident in many countries including Mexico, the United States, France, Chile, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, that February 14th was the official day of Love and Friendship, unlike other countries like Uruguay, Brazil, and Colombia, where this celebration takes place on different dates.
I believe that in the end, diving a little deeper into the meaning that can now be given to this celebration, it serves as a reminder to foster love, respect, and solidarity not only towards our loved ones but towards others. It seems that every time we have been emerging ourselves into more individualistic, active, and impersonalized societies that pull us from occasionally remembering the vitality and energy we obtain from feeling and expressing love. This is why I invite you all to continue fostering and developing in every opportunity the infinite potential that we have to give love and thus form chains that reflect a more positive world full of understanding, empathy, tolerance, and respect.
Let’s remember how good it feels to hug your significant other every morning, to teach us to communicate better with our children, to be kinder and more affectionate with our words, to comfort a child, to cuddle your pets, to smile at a stranger, and nurture this wonderful gift of love that our friends provide.
Every day we have these opportunities; let’s not waste them.
I wish that every day of your life is a happy day full of love and friendship.
Claudia Esponda
Fundadora de Meraki Magazine
Translated by Rebeca Espinoza
Bachelors Degree in Public Relations and Marketing from UTSA
