It may come as a surprise to many of us that St. Valentine?s Day is a blend of a pagan ritual and Christian tradition. In the third century, under the Emperor Claudius Gothicus, there lived in Rome a priest named Valentine who, in spite of harsh repression, resisted strongly against the persecution of Christians. But after a time, he was captured and thrown into prison. Ultimately, he was beheaded for refusing to renounce his faith. He became a martyr and was canonised later. The Church commemorated this sad event and it happened to coincide with the pagan festival of Lupercalia celebrated on February 15th. All young people of marriageable age were introduced to a mating game by lottery in which couples were paired off amidst febrility and excitement. St Valentine?s feast was born.

Nowadays St. Valentine?s Day is most remembered as the festival for lovers, although it is highly commercialised. It is an occasion for lovers to exchange greetings and flowers or gifts as a token of their love for each other. Love is the elixir of life and it can bulldoze mountains as it is the most powerful emotional force in our lives. It has a magical force behind it as implied by the French saying ?le Coeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connait pas?. It can be as fathomless as the ocean and can take different forms ranging from platonic love to unrequited passion. Nat King Cole sang that ?love is many-splendoured thing? while Elvis Presley conquered the hearts of many with his ?love me, tender, love me sweet?. Love cements two souls together and it builds institutions like marriage and family on solid rocks. The highest form of love can be found in the union of man and woman in marriage. Plutarch said that ?love is the crowning grace of humanity, the holiest right of the soul, the golden link which binds us to duty and truth, the redeeming principle that chiefly reconciles the heart of life and is prophetic of eternal god?. Love is said to be like wine: the older it grows, the sweeter it will become. It transcends all barriers as it is blind. And, as the saying goes: Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

Today with the fast tempo of hectic life in modern society, the couple, once they are married, tend to neglect their love for each other at the expense of material comforts. They unconsciously kill conversational habits at home and their eyes are glued to the television set. Communications are almost dead without their realising it and many a marriage ends up in catastrophe. Is it surprising to see the alarmingly high rate of divorces in our law courts? Love turns into hate, honeyed words are transformed into gall. The house becomes a battlefield and each partner cannot bear the sight of the other. ?For better or for worse?, so have they pronounced earlier the oath of fidelity?. They become like two gladiators thrown mercilessly into the judicial arena. The sacred knot tied by the priest now has to be slashed by a judge who finally gives the verdict of ?à torts partagés? in the divorce case.

<B>Unrequited, it leads to terrible agony</B>

Upon this festive day, there is no better way than to delve into the Shakespearean world to dissect the different facets of love as he has immortalised its themes. He has played on the strings of love with different variations. The two star- crossed loves can only see the triumph of their love on their death-bed. (Romeo and Juliet). Love at first sight can be unfailing and irresistible and the Forest of Arden becomes a haven for lovers (As you like it). It can be pure and innocent even though lovers can be cut off from human civilisation (The Tempest). A distinction is drawn between love that is based on vanity and ambition and love that is genuine and selfless (Twelfth night). Unrequited love can lead to deep agonies (Midsummers? Night?s Dream). Devoted love can save the partner from the excision of a pound of flesh. (Merchant of Venice). The Winter?s Tale shows a dream of love lost only to be restored and of love that is never lost, and of love born afresh. But at the same time, we also have the other side of the coin: love can be destructive if mishandled. Incestuous love placed on the throne goes against the law of morality and can be self destructive (Hamlet). Blind love grafted with vaulting ambition spells out disaster (Macbeth). Or when sexual jealousy intrudes into love, it can end up in ruthless assassination (Othello)

Love needs to be watered, weeded and stimulated with nutrients all the time. Otherwise it can wither away due to negligence, lack of care and attention. Let all lovers make a pledge on this festive day: to make each day a St. Valentine?s Day.

<B>Philip Li Ching Hum<B>