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Rosenthal Mutakati Ghetto Blast
Today, capitalist commercialism is the biggest aspect of Valentine’s Day. KISSING, hugging and showing deep appreciation for each other are memorable experiences, which however, pale into insignificance the moment they are commercialised.There is nothing wrong with falling in love, after all God is love.
Researchers say it adds an ounce of cheerfulness to life, but the moment you do it for the world to see and not for yourself, then you have a problem.
Yesterday, scores of lovebirds painted the town red as they gracefully walked arm-in-arm with bouquets of flowers while sharing special meals in restaurants across the length and breadth of the country.
Eateries were offering specials to glean something from financially embattled Zimbabweans who, however, could not resist the temptation to fork out cash just to celebrate love.
Boutiques enjoyed roaring business selling clothes to mostly lovebirds who expressed unfathomable affection for each other through the exchange of presents in the form of clothes and shoes.
Jewellers were not to be outdone and neither were musicians.
“Mumwe akati wake anemateya/Umwe akati wake mutsvukutsvuku/Ane nhingiriki panhingiriki/Hanzi wangu ndizvo-ndizvo/Moyo muti hapana asina wake,” this song Wake by Tanga wekwaSando could be heard on almost every corner of the street as people celebrated love.
Florists were not to be outdone as they sold lots of flowers including single roses as lovers rushed to get something to give to their loved ones.
Musicians also tapped into the euphoria as they staged gigs with a Valentine banner just to wring cash from lovestruck couples who had a bit of cash to splash on their loved ones.
The cost of anything scarlet or red skyrocketed this week as traders fought hard to capitalise on the love theme.
Even those who do not understand the meaning of St Valentine’s Day celebrated the holiday without a care.
“Kungopfekawo zvitsvuku izvi kuti tisazonzi takapusa. As long as you are alive you must do what other people are doing,” shamelessly said my female workmate.
Rumour has it that she also bought herself flowers that were displayed on her desk. Njere dzebenzi kuhwanda mvura inonaya mutsime!
While this writer sees nothing wrong in people doing that within their might and financial muscle to celebrate love, he questions why people are prepared to go the extra mile just one day in a year to celebrate love for a woman they bash every other day.
What sweetness can a woman worth her salt derive from a gentleman who batters her daily and leaves God to take care of her like he does for the sparrow only to come with a bunch of roses pleading love in public glare.
Women and men deserve to be loved every day.
Gentle reader, love is the special gift that mankind received from God, but it has to be expressed unconditionally.
There seems to be deeper love in men who spend more cash on food and school fees for their children than those who keep the family hungry and only remember to buy a bunch of flowers on February 14.
“Anonditengera maruva kuti anodyiwa here? Kutaura kuno vana vakatandwa kuchikoro asi iye anoswerotaura zvemaruva asina kana nechiyamuro,” my former classmate told me.
She said St Valentine’s Day had killed the true meaning of love as people did things either for commercial reasons or just to be noticed.
Like Christmas and Easter, St Valentine’s Day is another attempt to “whitewash” perverted customs and observances of pagan gods and idols by “Christianising” them.
As innocent and harmless as St Valentine’s Day may appear, its traditions and customs originate from two of the most sexually perverted pagan festivals of ancient history: Lupercalia and the feast day of Juno Februata.
Celebrated on February 15, Lupercalia (known as the “festival of sexual licence”) was held by the ancient Romans in honour of Lupercus, god of fertility and husbandry, protector of herds and crops, and a mighty hunter.
Romans celebrated a holiday on February 14 to honour Juno Fructifier, Queen of the Roman gods and goddesses as well as goddess of marriage.
In one ritual, women would submit their names to a common box and men would each draw one out.
These two would be a couple for the duration of the festival (and at times for the entire following year). Both rituals were designed to promote not only fertility, but also life generally.
On February 15, Romans celebrated Luperaclia, honouring Faunus, god of fertility. Men would go to a grotto dedicated to Lupercal, located at the foot of Palatine Hill and where Romans believed that the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, were suckled by a she-wolf.
The men would sacrifice a goat, don its skin, and run around, hitting women with small whips, an act which was supposed to ensure fertility.
According to one story, Roman Emperor Claudius II imposed a ban on marriages because too many young men were dodging the draft by getting married (only single men had to enter the army).
A Christian priest named Valentinus was caught performing secret marriages and sentenced to death.
While awaiting execution, young lovers visited him with notes about how much better love is than war — the first “valentines”. The execution occurred in 269 CE on February 14.
Another Valentinus was a priest jailed for helping Christians. During his stay he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and sent her notes signed “From your Valentine.” He was eventually beheaded and buried on the Via Flaminia.
Reportedly Pope Julius I built a basilica over his grave.
A third Valentinius was the bishop of Terni and he was also martyred.
Pagan celebrations were reworked to fit the martyr theme and Christianity did not approve of rituals that encouraged sexuality.
It wasn’t until the Renaissance of the 14th century that customs returned to celebrations of love and life rather than faith and death.
People began to break free of some of the bonds imposed upon them by the Church and move towards a humanistic view of nature, society, and the individual.
As with so many other holidays that have pagan roots, divination came to play an important role in the development of modern Valentine’s Day. People looked to all sorts of things, primarily in nature, in order to find some sign about who might become their mate for life — their One True Love.
There were also, of course, things which came to be used to induce love or lust.
Today, capitalist commercialism is the biggest aspect of Valentine’s Day.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on chocolate, candies, flowers, dinners, hotel rooms, jewellery, and other gifts used to celebrate February 14.
There’s a lot of money to be made from people’s desire to commemorate the day. Only Christmas and Halloween come close in the way that modern commercialism has transformed and adopted an ancient pagan celebration.
Much as we love celebrations, it pays to understand what they mean.
Inotambika mughetto.
Online Reporter