Dina Valentine

Entering February, we always see mass media, malls, and entertainment centers rushing around and competing to attract teenagers. Exactly on February 14th, not a few of them pretend to hold a party celebration until late at night, there is even in it a free sex party. Na'udzu billahi min dzalik. All the parties boils down to one thing: Valentine's Day. Usually they say each other, "happy Valentine's Day", send cards and flowers, mutually vent, exchanging spouses, expressing affection or love for assuming, that moment is "Valentines Day". Is that right?

The history of Valentine's Day

The World Book Encyclopedia, vol. 20 (1993) describes many versions of Valentine's Day.

It is the celebration of Lupercalia which is a series of purification ceremonies in Ancient Rome (13-18 February). The first two days, dedicated to the queen of feverish love Juno Februata. On this day, young men and women seek each other by lottery. On February 15th, they asked the Lupercalia gods for protection from wolf trouble.

When Christian Catholicism entered Rome, they adopted this ceremony and colored it with Christian nuance. Among his supporters were Emperor Constantine and Pope Gregory I (see: The Encyclopedia Britannica, vol. 12, subtitles: Christianity). To get closer to Christianity, in 496 CE, Pope Gelasius I made this ancient Roman ceremony a Church Celebration Day by the name of Saint Valentine's Day in honor of the dead St.Valentine on 14 February. (see: The World Book Encyclopedia, 1998).

The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. XV subtitles St. Valentine writes there are 3 names of Valentine who died on February 14, one of whom is described to have died in Roman times. Nevertheless, there is never any explanation of who "St. Valentine "is meant, also with a story that is never known tip-pangkalnya because each source tells a different story.