Just who is that naked cherub?

Last Monday night, a couple of my colleagues and I convened by our cubicles to discuss Valentine’s Day. Since none of us has suitors, I was curious to hear how my cohorts would celebrate the approaching romantic holiday.

“For the first time in five years, I don’t have to buy anything!” cheered reporter Jason Huff, waving his arms as though he’d scored a Packers’ touchdown in last Sunday’s Super Bowl.

“Well, how about you?” I asked our newsroom bard and long-time bachelor, Dylan Shawn Wilson.

“Hmmmmm …” he mused, before popping his head above his cubicle in a comical Jack-in-the-Box fashion. “You got any plans?”

“You know, girls claim they don’t care what they get for Valentine’s Day,” Jason said, interrupting Dylan’s date proposal. “But it’s not true. They’re never satisfied.”

“Well, what sorts of gifts do you give them?” I asked my co-worker, settling onto an empty desktop for the developing discussion.

“Flowers,” he replied. “And always a nice dinner.”

“The dinner alone sounds good enough to me,” I said, glancing at the clock and realizing I was long overdue for my own supper.

“Me too,” Jason sighed, turning toward his computer screen to resume his night’s assignment. “Anyway, Valentine’s Day is just a commercial greeting card holiday.”

As I drove home from the Dispatch that night, I contemplated that newsroom conversation. Likewise, I questioned the concept of this commercialized lovers’ holiday. But mainly, I wondered where that little naked cherub came from – the one who floats about with a bow and heart-shaped arrow.

And so, I decided to do some Valentine’s Day research.

Early into my online investigation, I could understand Jason’s commercialized theory of the sweethearts’ holiday. According to History.com, a subsidiary of the History Channel: “Approximately 141 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas.”

Yet, as I delved into various sources, I discovered there’s more to Valentine’s Day than a bouquet of red roses, a gold-wrapped box of Godiva chocolates and an expensive dinner.

For instance:

• While legends differ, Valentine’s Day is believed to date back to the early Christian church, when numerous Christian martyrs were named Valentine. Today’s Catholic Church recognizes at least three of these as saints: Valentine of Rome, Valentine of Terni, and a third Valentine whose background remains a mystery other than his demise in Africa. Some traditions state that these saints were martyred on Feb. 14.

• One legend cites Saint Valentine as a priest who lived around 270 AD and served during the rule of Emperor Claudius II. According to this legend, Claudius II argued that single men made better soldiers than their married counterparts, whom he deemed emotionally attached to their families. Thus, he issued an edict banning marriage. In opposition to the emperor’s rule, Saint Valentine performed secret marriage ceremonies until he was arrested and executed. Although doubtful, Saint Valentine is said to have written a card to a young girl, identified as his beloved, the night before his execution, signing the card, “From your Valentine.”

• Other popular legends state that Saint Valentine was executed for assisting the escape of imprisoned Christians and for refusing to renounce his Christian faith.

• Saint Valentine’s Day has likewise been linked to Lupercalia, an ancient Roman fertility celebration that commenced in mid-February. It is believed that this pagan holiday, along with many others, was Christianized with the rise of the early church.

• The first romantic elements of Saint Valentine’s Day emerged, as did the concept of courtly love, in the high Middle Ages. Geoffrey Chaucer is cited as first recording a romantic reference to Valentine’s Day in the Parlement of Foules (1382): “For this was Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate.”

• The oldest archived Valentine was written in the 15th century by Charles, Duke of Orleans. Addressed to his wife, the valentine was written while the duke was held prisoner in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt.

• Just 400 years later, Esther Allen Howland, a native of Worcester, Mass., pioneered the American Valentine’s Day card industry with her colorfully crafted cards, adorned in hand-made lace. Today Howland is considered the “Mother of the American Valentine.”

• As for the tyke in diapers who pierces his predators with a love potion, he’s a product of Greek and Roman mythology. In Greek mythology, he’s known as Eros and is the son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Yet, he’s more commonly known by his Roman name, Cupid, which is derived from the Latin word “cupido” and means “desire.”

A messenger for his mother, the mischievous Cupid is said to strike the most unsuspecting victims into spellbound lovers.

So steer clear of little naked cherubs this week. Otherwise, you’ll soon be signing your own hand-written, heart-shaped cards, “From your valentine.”



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