It’s a double celebration for Nigerians born on February 14 as their birthday falls on Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day will also offer a triple event for married birthday celebrants and couples marking wedding anniversaries.
An actress and former bank worker, Meg Otanwa, is one of the Nigerians born on February 14. She believed the celebration would not overshadow her birthday, but make it unforgettable.
The actress said, “Love is sharing, right? I don’t mind it at all, if anything, it means all lovers get to celebrate my birthday with me, which is a beautiful thing. I see it as people showing love and affection towards their loved ones on my behalf. The world gets to celebrate my birthday. It makes it more memorable.”
Due to the peculiarity and significance of Val’s Day, Otanwa said she doesn’t host people or hold parties on the actual date, saying, “this way my friends and family can spend time with their special someone. I’ll rather have a celebration earlier or after.”
Val babies, as they are called, are sometimes given names or nicknames such as Valentine, Valentin, Valentino, for the males, and Valentina for females.
As a ‘Val baby,’ the actress who starred in October 1, said she planned to celebrate by getting gifts and well wishes on her birthday. She also identified white as her favourite val colour.
History of Valentine
Valentine’s Day is held every February 14 and has been themed as a day for receiving chocolates, flowers, and gifts from loved ones. The history of this day is linked to both Christian and ancient Roman traditions.
An American tech-powered media company, History.com, stated that the Catholic Church recognised three martyred saints named Valentine or Valentinus as the originator of Valentine’s Day. Another version stated that the day was named after a priest, who defied the order of Emperor Claudius II that soldiers be unmarried and continued to perform secret marriages for young lovers.
Another version indicated that an imprisoned Valentine fell in love with a young girl who visited him in prison and before his death, wrote a letter to her and signed it, “from your Valentine.” Nonetheless, stories of Valentine legends emphasise a sympathetic, heroic and romantic figure.
This day, known as the day for romance and love, was declared at the end of the 5th century by Pope Gelasius. However, not until much later did the day become definitively associated with love.
History.com also noted that during the Middle Ages, it was a common belief in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season and as such Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance. The English poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, was the first to record St. Valentine’s Day as a day of romantic celebration in his 1375 poem, “Parliament of Foules,” writing, “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.”
A colour expert and founder of Colour Meanings, Jacob Olesen, stated that red, white and pink were the colours of Valentine’s Day.
Breaking down what each colour symbolises, Olesen said in theory, red was the “colour of heightened emotions.” Historically, the colour became associated with Valentine’s Day because during the beginning days in the development of textile dyes, red was one of the most luxurious, rare and expensive colours and the gift of red fabric was considered special.
Celebrations galore
A recent graduate from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Ebuka Ebonine, said he felt special and happy celebrating his birthday on Val’s Day.
He added that since he had yet to find a lover or spouse to celebrate Valentine with, his birthday was his top priority.
Ebonine said, “My birthday appears to be the most favourite day in the world if I am not mistaken. I feel happy and special. I put it (birthday) first before any other thing and I will celebrate it more than Valentine. The Valentine celebration will not overshadow my birthday celebration.”
Ebonine said he always expressed love to the underprivileged on such a day and would do the same this year.
He said, “I want to make this year a little memorable if what I pray for comes through. I want to show love to beggars on the streets and celebrate this year’s birthday with people on the streets. Also, I have not had a birthday cake in previous celebrations but this year I have decided that whether there is someone in my life or not, I will get a cake and celebrate with my friends.”
The FUTO graduate said he had been nicknamed Valentine, adding that, “I have wholeheartedly accepted it and added it to my name as well and I happily answer to it.”
He also said red was his preferred colour for Valentine’s Day.
Another ‘Val baby’, a teacher, Grace Esere, expressed joy in celebrating her birthday on Valentine’s Day.
Like others, she noted that her birthday celebration took primacy over Valentine’s, but, expressed love to the less- privileged as a way of celebrating the day.
Esere said, “I am happy it’s not just lovers’ day but also my birthday. It is an important day for me, even without February 14 being lovers’ day; I will still celebrate my birthday. For previous birthdays, I was with my friends and it was a memorable one with lots of love. For this year’s, I will be reaching out to others as nothing is too small to give any orphanage and because it is Val, I’ll show love to others.”
She further stated that Valentina was not part of her given name, indicating that red was her favourite Valentine colour.
The joy of celebrating the day that marked her birthday also superseded the bliss of Valentine’s day according to Merrylin Ukwuoma an Imo State lady born on February 14.
She stated, “Valentine celebration can’t overshadow my birthday; rather it will make my day more special.”
Ukwuoma added that Valentina had been added to her name by her friends.
To celebrate her birthday this year, she said she would get herself a portable gift, adding that her previous birthdays were celebrated with family and friends.
She also identified red and blue as her favourite colours for Valentine.
On his part, a graduate of Microbiology from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Godwin Emenaha, said people often teased him by calling him “lover boy” when they knew he was born on February 14.
He added that the situation usually made his well-wishers not to remember to celebrate him, noting that due to his introverted nature, he spent previous birthdays alone.
Emenaha said, “Some friends forget my birthday and they just go ahead to wish me happy Val instead of a birthday wish.”
This year, he hoped to pray for himself and go out to give himself a treat. He said, “It’s always about me every February 14. I will like to do something that I have never done before. I will go out with my family and friends and give out some gifts.’’
Saying he did not like the name Valentine and he wasn’t so christened, Emenaha said he would be celebrating his birthday alone because his wife was out of the country.
He said, “I love ash as a colour. I would love to celebrate with my wife but she isn’t in the country. Maybe she wants to surprise me, I don’t know but I love to be around her.”
Though fondly called “lover boy” by friends, another Nigerian born on February 14, Pascal Ezeogwu, looked forward to his birthday celebration this year.
Excited and happy to share his birthday with Valentine’s Day, Ezeogwu said he would not allow the Valentine’s Day celebration to overshadow his birthday celebration.
Ezeogwu said, “I feel so excited and happy sharing my birthday with the day because I think I have a caring and loving heart towards people. Love is a word that exists in my heart, and, interestingly, I get to share this day with lovers. I can’t allow Valentine’s Day celebration to overshadow my birthday celebration because Valentine’s Day is celebrated by everyone worldwide but that day is for me. It symbolises the day my existence began so it is a special day to me.”
He, however, said he would celebrate Valentine’s Day with his friends, adding that it was a significant day for him to appreciate his friends and lover.
He stated, “I celebrated previous birthdays with other birthday mates in the church. Two years ago, a few of my friends marked the day for me by taking me out.
Ezeogwu further said to celebrate his birthday this year, he would thank God for the gift of life and meditate on his life.
He said, “I will reflect on how things are going, set some goals and plans for my life. I will also share a few drinks with friends who would want to take me out. I need to add that white is my favourite colour for Valentine.’’
Celebrate Val with aim to love, says counsellor
The lead counsellor at 23 24 Counsellors, a relationship and family counselling centre in Lagos, Foluso Omotunde, said that Valentine’s Day was a day dedicated to celebrating love, adding that the main motive for that day should be love.
For those celebrating their birthdays on that day, Omotunde said that they would receive a double expression of love if planned by their loved ones.
Omotunde said, “As we celebrate another Valentine’s Day, it is important to note that the day falls on some people’s birthdays. From our findings, people born on Valentine’s Day do not receive a double expression of gift and love except if their loved ones decided to celebrate it double for them. Most times, it is deliberately planned.
“Although the day is focused on celebrating love, people born on February 14 are destined to be loved and desired without even trying to steal the spotlight since they didn’t choose the day to be born. It’s destiny.”
The relationship coach advised couples to be intentional in their expression of love and gratitude to each other, adding that such expression of love served as an opportunity to show children the importance of love and caring for others.
The counsellor said, “Valentine’s Day is a day couples should make beautiful memories together. I know every day should have beautiful memories. But you can make special dates like this exceptional for you and your partner. It can be used as an opportunity to show your lover, husband or wife that you do not take them for granted. It’s an opportunity to be creative, sexy, daring, romantic and be your partner’s valentine.
“Having a beautiful valentine centres around being mindful of your partner and committing to celebrate them on that day. You can plan a beautiful romantic evening for each other. You may eat out or choose to cook a special meal together, light a candle at your dining table or have a simple candlelight dinner. Make this valentine day an excuse to spoil your partner, pamper your lover and buy each other new gifts depending on a personal budget.”
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