THE CUPIDS CONCEPT |
Valentine's Day has become a time for love and affection to be encouraged around couples and single people.
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‘The Lupercalia’, was an ancient festival held every year on February 15th and celebrated by the Romans in courtesy of their gods. Specifically, the god “Feberuus” from whom the month of February takes its name. The celebration of Lupercalia, also known as ‘Dies Frebuatus’, was centered around the act of “purifying the city” and promoting fertility and health. In honoring the names of the gods, this “purifying” process would include men picking the women of their choice and forcing them to adopt their surnames, leaving the women no choice but to endure sexually erotic relationships with them. In fact, this specific event was based upon the Greek word “erotica” similar to the word erotic: to pursue or perform sexually arousing acts, which is exactly what the men did to the women whether it was consensual or not.
With time the true practices of this tradition were buried and new symbols were linked with the day previously known as The Lupercalia. Love, Affection, and the most popular one of all, Cupid. A sweet red-cheeked cherub and a Roman mythological winged god of love or in a more comical sense a tiny man in a loose toga shooting love-deprived people with his ‘Arrow of love’. Cupid or ‘Eros’ which means to be desired-was also the god of passion and fertility, so you can see where he plays a part in the late annual celebration revolving around the thought of fertility, making love, and purifying Rome by doing so. The image he carries quickly became the sheep’s wool of what the Lupercalia was originally meant to be and represent.
Over time, the Lupercalia celebrations became a feast day for the Roman Saint Valentine in his honor. Along with the big name Cupid, there is also Saint Valentine of Rome, although his true identity is a question to many Christians in history due to believing there were possibly three potential Saint Valentines instead of just one, nevertheless his story continues to play a big part in the holiday that is celebrated every day on February 14th, hence the name in his sake, St. Valentine. Because of this man, there are Valentine’s cards that date back hundreds of years signed with “Your Valentine”, at a time when marriage was deeply frowned upon. Instead of pursuing women, men needed to instead focus on ongoing wars to avoid any distractions. Saint Valentine was the one who secretly went around marrying Christian couples which eventually led him into a lot of trouble. Arguably he died in the name of love when it was heavily forbidden, in the end, Saint Valentine was martyred on February 14th the day we know as Valentine's Day.
With time the true practices of this tradition were buried and new symbols were linked with the day previously known as The Lupercalia. Love, Affection, and the most popular one of all, Cupid. A sweet red-cheeked cherub and a Roman mythological winged god of love or in a more comical sense a tiny man in a loose toga shooting love-deprived people with his ‘Arrow of love’. Cupid or ‘Eros’ which means to be desired-was also the god of passion and fertility, so you can see where he plays a part in the late annual celebration revolving around the thought of fertility, making love, and purifying Rome by doing so. The image he carries quickly became the sheep’s wool of what the Lupercalia was originally meant to be and represent.
Over time, the Lupercalia celebrations became a feast day for the Roman Saint Valentine in his honor. Along with the big name Cupid, there is also Saint Valentine of Rome, although his true identity is a question to many Christians in history due to believing there were possibly three potential Saint Valentines instead of just one, nevertheless his story continues to play a big part in the holiday that is celebrated every day on February 14th, hence the name in his sake, St. Valentine. Because of this man, there are Valentine’s cards that date back hundreds of years signed with “Your Valentine”, at a time when marriage was deeply frowned upon. Instead of pursuing women, men needed to instead focus on ongoing wars to avoid any distractions. Saint Valentine was the one who secretly went around marrying Christian couples which eventually led him into a lot of trouble. Arguably he died in the name of love when it was heavily forbidden, in the end, Saint Valentine was martyred on February 14th the day we know as Valentine's Day.