The curse of Valentine’s Day - The internet has killed off romance
February 14, 2024
How St Valentine came to be associated with romance is disputed. Some suggest the third-century martyr’s feast “Christianised” a Roman fertility festival — but the first mention of his day in connection with love comes more than 1,000 years after his death, in Chaucer’s Parlement of Foules.
St Valentine’s is, in Chaucer’s telling, the day when the birds all find their mates, aided by a personified Nature. But the modern Valentine’s Day is less a moment for finding a mate than for celebrating those who already have one. What, then, of those still single? There are plenty of articles offering advice for coping on Valentine’s Day, suggesting that for some, it’s not a feast of smug coupledom but an annual reminder of loneliness.
