Why is February 14th Special?

The Leather Feather

With the arrival of February, all our love lives also come alive. In short, we all get into the mood for love. Whether it's with gifts, a romantic dinner, or flowers, we all eagerly await the surprises of February 14th.

With so little time left until Valentine's Day, let's all learn together where this tradition came from.

There are two legends about the origin of this pink and red love-filled day.

First, in 270 AD, the Roman Emperor Claudius II banned marriage, deeming it unnecessary. Although we cannot know what went through his mind when he made this decision, it was inevitable that it would be a disaster for lovers. It was at this moment that Bishop Valentine of Interamna appeared on the scene. He broke the law and secretly married two young people madly in love. Of course, it was impossible for this news not to reach the empire. For this reason, Bishop Valentine was executed in 270 AD.

A second story about Valentine's Day goes like this;

By 496 AD, Pope Gelasius had banned the Lupercalia festival celebrated in Rome. In Lupercalia, a pagan festival in honor of the god of fertility Lupercus, women and men were paired by lot. On this day, the priests of Lupercus would sacrifice goats to the god. Then, symbolizing Lupercus with a piece of goat skin placed on their heads, they would run through the streets of Rome, touching everyone they met. Young girls would voluntarily step forward and try to get their share of the fertility god's touch. According to belief, this touch would facilitate their fertility. At the festival, as part of the celebrations, men would draw girls' names from papers thrown into a box, and couples brought together by the pairing would become lovers, or perhaps even marry. Later, this festival was transformed into a day of celebration in the name of Saint Valentine.

"Shall we grow old and walk arm in arm? How beautifully you would age..."

-Cemal Süreya

The first official celebration of Valentine's Day occurred in the late 400s. It was declared as Saint Valentine's Day by Pope Gelasius. Although it is said to have taken its name from the martyrs of that period, the identity of that person is unknown. The most common explanation is that Saint Valentine was a priest in Rome and was killed in the 3rd century. However, there are at least two other Saint Valentines known to have lived at this time. One is a priest from a city near Rome, now called Terni, and the other is a North African martyr. The priest in Rome is the most widely accepted among these three.

With the celebration of February 14th, Roman youths began sending cards to the girls they liked and loved as a brand new tradition. As Christianity spread, the custom of sending cards to loved ones on this day also spread. The oldest surviving Valentine card is the one sent by Duke Charles IX of Orleans to his imprisoned wife in the Tower of London.

In the Middle Ages, by the 14th century, the first sources associating Valentine with love emerged. According to the book Parlement of Foules, dated 1381, February 14th is traditionally known as the mating day for birds in France and England. Because of this characteristic of the day, lovers give each other notes with beautiful words and address each other as Valentine in these notes.

Since American Esther Howland sent the first Valentine's Day card in the 1800s, February 14th has become a social event celebrated by many people. As a natural consequence of this, the commercial aspect of the event has gained great importance, and Valentine's Day has become a period when trade flourishes all over the world.

So what comes to mind when we think of love?

Perhaps Shepherd Ahais laid his reed flute, the source of cascading notes, on the chest of a lamb for Aphrodite...

Perhaps Romeo drew his sword from its scabbard, protected by sturdy leather, on his way to meet his Juliet...

Perhaps Majnun wrapped himself in a gazelle skin in the deserts where he searched for his Layla, to quell his longing...

Today, love continues at full throttle, and the energy of February 14th captivates us all.

Like all legendary lovers, how about you choose genuine leather to protect your computer, which stores your most beautiful photos, your phone, which stores your most romantic messages that last until morning, and your most beautiful journeys for your beloved?

Love is like a delicate feather. Wouldn't it be wonderful to protect it with RexOwl?