Category: History

Meaning of Valentine’s Day

Perhaps the first things that come to the minds of people when they hear the words Valentine’s Day are Cupid and his arrows as well as chocolates and candies packed in heart-shaped boxes. They may also picture a bunch of flowers as well as dinner dates among lovers. Valentine’s Day has been a celebration of love and affection particularly among romantically involved individuals. For centuries, it has taken a meaning of love and romance between two consenting adults or romantically involved individuals. It has long been associated with love, passion and affection.

Origin of Valentine’s Day

Centuries ago, the celebration of Valentine’s Day was not like how it is celebrated right now. The history of this day of hearts can be traced back thousands of years ago, during the time of ancient Rome. The term Valentine’s Day has been said to have been derived from the name of the martyr priest, St. Valentine, who was beheaded on the 14th of February.

Originally, the celebration was called Lupercalia, a Roman festival celebration of romance done in the honor of Juno and Pan. Lupercalia was a pagan practice and was met with disapproval by the Catholic Pope during that time. It was not until the fifth century that Lupercalia was changed and made into Valentine’s Day. The emphasis placed on love still remained on the celebration but instead of having this celebration in honor of the Roman gods, it was changed to honor St. Valentine.

The celebration of Lupercalia originally falls on the 15th of February but was later changed to February 14. Until now, February 14 continues to be the date for the celebration of Valentine’s Day. The history of Valentine’s Day continues to be based on theory and legends as there are no documents in the archives that could back the truthfulness of the story behind the celebration.

The Story of St. Valentine

Valentine was a priest in Rome during the reign of Claudius II. During that time, marriage between couples were strictly prohibited. The prohibition arose from the the emperor’s belief that married men would not make good soldiers as they were emotionally attached to their families. At that time, extreme crisis and chaos hit Rome and there was need for more soldiers. Claudius believed that banning marriage would make men better soldiers. The decree was met with disapproval by the people but they were helpless against the emperor’s will.

But the people who wanted to marry found an ally in Valentine. Secretly, Valentine performed marriage ceremonies to young couples. Not long afterwards, Valentine’s secret deeds reached the ears of the emperor. Claudius was furious and he had Valentine arrested. Even in prison, Valentine continued his Christian deeds. He preached the gospel and tried to convert his fellow prisoners. He also made friends with the jailer’s daughter, a blind girl who was said to have been healed by Valentine.

Valentine was very successful with his efforts and was able to convert many inside the prison. He even attempted to convert the emperor, an act which angered Claudius so much. Claudius had Valentine executed and the schedule of his excution fell on the 14th of February. On that day, Valentine died as a Christian martyr. It is said that before he died, Valentine wrote a farewell letter which he signed with the words “From your Valentine”. In honor of his martyrdom and patriotism to Christianity, the Christian church named Valentine a saint and made February 14 of every year a commemoration of his death and martrydom.

Valentine’s Day Then and Now

In 18th century England, people celebrated Valentine’s Day with gift-giving or card-giving. Handmade Valentine cards decorated with ribbons, lace and hearts were popularly exchanged among young lovers. Until now, lovers still give each other gifts and Valentine cards to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Diamonds are among the most precious stones in the whole world. They are sought by many. The beauty of these gems, however, is hounded by a horrifying history.

For thousands of years, diamonds have been highly regarded by everyone from kings and queens to ordinary people. Diamonds are a symbol for wealth, elegance, love, and power. Centuries ago, they were also a symbol of courage, invincibility and strength. What is less commonly known is that these stones are also a symbol of terror and death. Conflicts arise from the mining of these gems; many people have died and many are perhaps still dying because of the mining of these precious stones.

The Discovery of Diamonds

Although the exact date is unclear, the first diamond discovery in Africa was sometime between late 1866 and early 1867. The discovery of these precious stones began when a 15-year old farm boy by the name of Stephanus Erasmus Jacobs found a sparkling white pebble on the grounds of the De Kalk farm along the southeastern part of the Orange River, an area formerly known as the Cape Colony. Jacobs gave the pebble to his friend, Schalk van Niekirk who later gave it to a travelling trader named John O’Reilly. The stone was passed from hand to hand after that. It was later discovered that the pebble was not merely a stone but a “Eureka” diamond. In 1867, the diamond was displayed at the Paris Exhibition.

The Diamond Rush to Africa

In 1869, approximately two years after the discovery of the “Eureka” diamond, another brilliant white diamond was found near the banks of the Orange River. This time, the diamond was found on the farm of the De Beers brothers: Joahannes and Diederik. Niekirk bought the diamond from the person who found it and sold it to the Lilienfeld brothers, who later sold it to the Earl of Dudley. This diamond was named the “Star of Africa”. The discovery of the “Star of Africa” sparked the beginning of the diamond rush to Africa.

De Beers Group and the Diamond Mines

The De Beers farmland were turned into diamond mines. It has at least two diamond mines, namely, the Premier and Kimberly mines. There were too many diamond seekers trying to find diamonds in their land and eventually, the De Beers brothers were not able to handle the stress of constantly protecting their land from the great number of diamond seekers. They sold their land to Cecile Rhodes, who later merged diamond mines as one corporation called the De Beers Consolidated Mines. There were other diamond mining companies but the De Beers Group was the biggest.

The Diamond Monopoly

The biggest share of diamond mining was controlled by the De Beers Group. Its chairman, Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, initiated a single-channel marketing campaign. To keep the value of the diamonds at a high level and to keep the stability of the diamond trade, they controlled the stone’s availability. The company was said to have been involved in shady dealings such as price fixing. They also managed to have a stranglehold on the diamond supply and production. They were known to be ruthless to their competitors, stomping out any competition that came their way. They prevented the rise of competition by convincing people that diamonds are most precious when left untouched by others. The company launched a marketing campaign which helped prevent the rise of secondary markets for diamonds. The rarity of the diamonds made the gems more precious and in demand. And with the high demand for these precious stones came terror and death to people working in the diamond mines.

A Diamond is Forever

In the 1930s, the Depression rocked many countries of the globe. This situation affected the diamond market greatly, causing sales to plummet dramatically. The 1940s did not bring much improvement in the diamond market while World War II was raging. To improve the sale of diamonds, the De Beers Group launched a marketing campaign bearing the slogan “A Diamond is Forever.” This was meant to entice women to buy diamonds and keep the stones with them forever. The marketing campaign was a success and, subsequently, the De Beers Group was able to take control of the entire diamond trade. Without any competition, they sold diamonds at exorbitant prices. It was the marketing campaign of the De Beers Group that have made diamonds as popular as they are now.

Conflict Diamonds

Conflict diamonds are mined in Sierra Leone, Cote d’Ivoire, Angola, Congo and Liberia, where unstable governments and various rebel groups are in constant conflict. Rebels and other armed insurgents mine diamonds and sell them to finance the purchase of weapons and ammunition. Common people such as farmers, including children, are forced to work in diamond mines and suffer extreme violence. Mass murders are common and those who fail to obey orders, are caught for petty crimes or are not able to produce enough diamonds are either shot on the spot or have their arms amputated. The popularity of diamonds has escalated such crimes. It has encouraged the rebels to mine more diamonds to be able to purchase more arms.

Kimberly Process Certification Scheme

To stop the violence associated with the mining of blood diamonds, the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) was adopted by the UN Assembly. The KPCS prohibits the sales and purchase of diamonds from areas where violence is common. With KPCS, consumers may demand conflict-free diamonds from suppliers.

History

History of Valentine’s Day