Val’s Day is here again

LOVERS will exchange notes, gifts and text messages. Broken up relationships will be mended, while many other hearts will be broken; all in the name of love.
Valentine's Day is a day meant to celebrate the affections among people in various kinds of relationships.Various countries and cultures have their own unique ways of commemorating the day and valuing the relationships that hold them together.
In Nigeria, Lagos in particular, the streets, including those that are always quiet after 8:30 p.m., bustle with cars and people on the night of February 14. Hotels, stores, and restaurants are covered in red, pink and white decorations, with big heart shaped signs wishing passers by a Happy Valentine’s Day.
The situation is not different from that of Ghana. Ghanaians have taken the celebration a step more up the stage of the ladder, and have construed its purpose and associated it with satisfying their eroticism or sexual urge. 
This day has become so important to many Ghanaians that they would not mind spending or sparing all they have for their loved ones on this “special” day of love.
Valentine’s Day, which is shortened to Val’s day and also known as chocolate day, is a day which, according to some history books, honours an early Christian martyr named Saint Valentine.
In the days when Rome was ruled by an emperor named Claudius, men were expected to voluntarily join his (Claudius’) army to fight against his enemies on war fronts, but many of the men in Rome refused to join.
They did not want to leave their wives and families to fight in a war which could determine their death.
This made the emperor so furious that he came up with an idea that if men were not married, they would not mind joining the army.
He, therefore, set up a law that did not allow any more marriages in his empire, but this man named St Valentine, whose favourite duty was to marry couples, kept on performing marriage ceremonies secretly.
During one of his (St Valentine) secret marriage blessing for couples at night, he was caught and sent to prison.
History also has it that while he was in prison, the daughter of the prison guard was allowed to visit him in cell and they became very good friends. They shared views together each time his friend (the guard’s daughter) visited him.
On the day St Valentine was to die, which was on February 14, 269 AD, he wrote a note to his newly found best friend, thanking her for her friendship and loyalty, on which he signed, “love from your valentine”, a phrase which is still used by most people, especially on Val’s day.
This is just a brief anecdote about the Valentine’s Day which has eaten up the minds of most people in the world, especially in our motherland Ghana.
This 14th day of February is now remembered and celebrated by many people around the world, most importantly, with a thought about love on their minds.
 Most Ghanaians who like holidays will even be glad if the day is recognised and commemorated as a national holiday.
The day has been characterised with different opinions and views about love. There is over commercialisation of love products, with the media also giving it so much eminence. There are mostly red decorations at most public places, and lot of special gift items designed especially for the celebration.
While some people celebrated the day to share and express love, which goes with peace and happiness, others, especially the youth, commemorate the Chocolate day with a whole lot of ill-mannered acts and indiscriminate sexual activities, all in the name of love.
Most young people do not actually know what the day is about or how it got into existence, so when asked about what they think about the day, they simply say it is a time to show one’s partner that he or she truly loves him or her by giving in to all that the person wants, be it a sexual act or any deed which is right or wrong.
Many young Ghanaians also make gargantuan preparations towards this special day of love to shower their loved ones with so many gifts to show how much they care and love their partners.
There is nothing wrong at all in doing all that to show one’s love, but the only thing people need to remember is that the Val’s day is just like any other day which passes by. They should, therefore, not celebrate it as if that would be their last day on earth.
I entreat all Ghanaians to take advantage of the day to show some love for the poor children on the streets and to stay away from all deeds that can put them in great trouble.
The vulnerable, poor children who do not have any loved one to care for them on this day of love need the love and care of every single Ghanaian to feel protected and cared for.
Ghanaians, especially the youth, should also realise that AIDS is real, and always protect themselves with condoms if they cannot abstain from pre-marital sex to avoid any dreadful sexually transmitted diseases or infection.
I urge all Ghanaians to be aware of their safety and health and also look forward to seeing many people healthy and alive after the celebrations to help in developing our nation and continent as a whole.