The origins of Valentine's Day, like the origins of love itself, are somewhat unclear.
Legend has it that a third-century priest named Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies despite the fact that it was deemed illegal by the Roman emperor Claudius II. Thrown into jail, Valentine formed a relationship with his jailer's daughter, and before his execution on Feb. 14, he signed his last message to her, "From your Valentine."
Another theory has it that in preparation for the Roman festival of Lupercalia, which started on Feb.15, names of the town's maidens would be collected and then drawn at random by the local bachelors; in this fashion couples were paired off for the year. It is also said that Feb. 14 is the day that birds start to mate.
Whatever the case may be, there's not a single one of us who can forget how exciting it was as a child when Valentine's Day came rolling around to discover who in our class would give us a card; sometimes it was just a piece of paper with a heart and the words "Be Mine" written across the top. Of course, there were times when our hopes were dashed when that one special person we not-so-secretly had a crush on neglected to give us a card.
Throughout the years, these feelings remain, and as the day of love comes rolling around again, some of us can't wait to have one more reason to express our love for the one we care about with a red rose, a box of chocolates or a piece of paper with a heart and the words "Be Mine" written across the top.
Although some see this holiday as a day to spend with a loved one, others see Valentine's Day as an over-sensationalized commercial nightmare cooked up by the greeting card industry in order to rake in a few thousand dollars from cards that have some clich+â-¬d line about that most mushy of all emotions: love.
I say let's cut out this pessimistic attitude and get back to the basics of the true meaning of this holiday - showing those around us we care about them.
Those who are lucky to have someone they call their own are elated that they are not alone on Valentine's Day, as so many people are. Not surprisingly, many fall into a state of depression at this time of year. Nobody wants to be single, and nobody wants to be the one who doesn't receive anything. This day seems to serve as a mere reminder of how lonely singles really are.
So my advice to all is to have a heart. If you see someone wandering the hallways with an expression of loneliness scarring his or her face, shout out a friendly hello. And if someone seems to have something on their mind, lend a listening ear.
Every day we pass people by who feel as if they don't have a friend in the world. More than likely it's a state of mind, but until somebody acts like a friend - instead of a stranger - they will continue to feel that way. There's an old saying that goes: We don't know how lucky we are until we've walked a mile in somebody else's shoes.
So take a stroll - what could it hurt - and get to know somebody new. After all, everybody can use another friend.
Write to Joshua atjsfarris@bsu.edu
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