Valentine’s Day OR MahaShivaRatri? – your SV Ayurveda Newsletter Feb 13, 2026, #5, Vol 16

When February comes around, everything goes lush with red and pink hearts all over the place, augmented by excess chocolate and candy (still not a good time to detox just yet!), accompanied by waaaaay overpriced flower bouquets… After surviving the end-of-year-xmas-newyear-commercial-stunt, doesn’t this all feel like too much too soon??? 

And yet, you might have noticed that something is “in the air” that captures our hearts and minds carrying us into this unexpected wave of…

Could it actually be Valentine’s Day…? What is Valentine’s Day anyways ? Who was Valentine?

Turns out Valentine’s Day is connected to the pagan fertility festival of Lupercalia. “Lupercalia” derives from the Latin word, lupus (for “wolf”) and is connected to the legendary she-wolf who nursed Romulus and Remus – the mythical founders of Rome. Celebrated on February 15, Lupercalia was an annual ritual in which dogs and goats were slaughtered as sacrifice. In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius, in an effort to fade out pagan ritual sacrifice and christianize Rome, outlawed Lupercalia and declared February 14th a holy-day to honor Saint Valentine’s martyrdom. Not much of an upgrade you say? Since animal sacrifice was replaced by human martyrdom… Why was he sacrificed?

Saint Valentine went against the Roman Emperor Claudius II’s decree – who believed single men made better soldiers and forbade young men from marrying. Valentine disobeyed and continued to secretly perform weddings for young lovers. He was arrested, beaten, and beheaded! 

St. Valentine’s day, epitomizes an unorthodox blend of ancient Roman, Christian, and medieval traditions. Originally intended to be a christian religious feast day, Valentine’s day evolved into a celebration of romantic love – Chaucer and later Shakespeare mention it in their works – Valentine’s day became a celebration of Spring intimations…

And today, in our consumeristic culture, Valentine’s day has turned into a big commercial holiday – “love” no longer matters, it is just an excuse for eating more chocolate and buying more: roses and heart shaped items!

But this does not answer our question. There IS something that we do feel this time of year. What could it be?

On the other side of the world, in another continent far far away, is an ancient culture that also held ritual celebrations at this time of the year, but for different reasons. In ancient Vedic culture, and based on accurate astronomical and astrological calculations, this is the time of year when Maha Shiva Rathri is celebrated. Masik Shivarathri is a monthly observance on the 14th day of the lunar month. On the other hand, Maha-shivratri – “The Great Night of Shiva” – is an annual major festival that occurs on the 14th night of the waning moon in February or March. On this day, the Sun and Moon in the Northern hemisphere are positioned to create a natural, powerful upsurge of energy – so it is an ideal time, according to Vedic astrology, for spiritual awakening. It is considered the “Great Night of Shiva,” because the divide between the divine and the human is at its lowest, facilitating profound inner transformation and the awakening of dormant consciousness. Mahashivarathri celebrates the wedding of the cosmic male and female energies – Shiva and Parvati – also depicted as the union of consciousness (Shiva) with primal energy (Shakti). Vedic culture teaches that this night can help remove past negative karmas and balance planetary influences in an individual’s life.That’s why fasting, night-long vigil and chanting are recommended. 

This year, Maha Shiva Rathri almost coincides with St Valentine’s day as it falls on February 15th. Vedic astronomy calculations are scientifically verifiable and accurate, so we can say in all confidence, that they invite us to celebrate that silent awakening that heralds the arrival of Spring, the most beautiful time of the year when buds shyly appear, and Nature is slowly transformed into a festive colorful celebration of cosmic energies, when life is renewed through the interlacing embrace of the masculine and feminine …

Happy Maha Shiva Rathri! 

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