Valentines Day Symbols

Although expressing love is not constrained to a specific day, Valentines Day holds a special place in the history of love.

The origins of Valentine's Day have varying versions and hence, are difficult to pinpoint. The most popular adaptation is that a Christian priest by the name Valentine, conducted clandestine marriages within the Roman Empire, in times of war, when union between men and women was forbidden by King Claudius. He was inevitably caught and executed on the 14th of February. Thus, it is on this day individuals celebrate his courage and sacrifice for uniting lovers at the risk of his life. Although, this legend puts the commencement of St. Valentine's Day to the credit of Christianity, most of the love symbols used, are pagan in origin. For instance, the image of an infant shooting an arrow at couples and making them fall in love is the Roman God of Love - Cupid. In Christian mythology, the rose is a symbol of a martyr's blood. However, the most common color of the rose, which is red, is the color of passion as per Greek and Roman legends. Thus, red roses in particular have come to be associated with love and Valentines Day.

Another popular image associated with Valentines Day is, the heart. As per traditional Middle Eastern schools of spiritism, the heart is the seat of the souls and thus the ruler of all feelings, including love. As per the Vedas, books on wisdom written in ancient India, the heart is the location of the Anahata Chakra, which is responsible for control over a person's ability to emote love. An amalgamation of all these ideas has lead to the alliance of the heart symbol with Valentine's Day. Other symbols of love include the Doves, who usually mate for life and thereby become perfect symbols of everlasting love. Candy being sweet is compared to the caress of a loved one. Hence, due to varying reasons, many objects have become symbolize Valentine's Day.