The 14th of February is the day for love around the world. 2024 Valentine’s Day spending for jewelry, cards that declare infinite love, roses and chocolates is expected to break records of yesteryears – revenue from the day of love is slated to top over $14 billion!
In modern times, Valentine’s Day is associated with love, but, circa 2,000 years ago its origins were sinister and bloody. According to legend, the original Valentine’s Day was created to pay homage to Christian martyrs, the main event was a day of feasting. With time, this unsavory history has faded, thus, giving way to a day of positive revelry and the ubiquitous Cupid.
Synonymous with the epitome of celestial purity and of course, love, the cute winged cherubic Cupid’s innocuous-looking bows and arrows have come to symbolize sweet romance, rather than insatiable decadence, war, gore and death. The coined phrase: “struck by Cupid’s arrow” is one that is affiliated with falling in love, instead of misfortune and untimely death via excruciating pain.
The Myth
In Roman mythology, Cupid was Venus’ son, (the Roman goddess of love and beauty). As the legend goes, Cupid was the stupendously divine Roman deity of unbridled lust and love. Like his Greek counterpart, Eros, Cupid is depicted as a statuesque, handsome young man.
According to the accounts of Cupid, he was not the angelic winged angel we see today, over millennials the facts have become distorted. As with most unpleasant events, time unearths beautiful reminisces of “their” essence. – S
