Valentine Day from Tarok Perspectives

February 14th every year is celebrated all over the world as lovers day.This day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery and sending greeting cards
known as "valentines". Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves and the figure of the winged Cupid.

Since the 19th Century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.Saint Valentine's Day, commonly known as Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine is observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries
around the world, although it remains a working day in most of them. St. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration of one of the more early Christian saints named Valentinus.
The most popular martyrology associated with Saint Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. During his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer, Emperor Asterius. Legend states that before his execution he wrote "from your Valentine" as a farewell to her.

Today, Saint Valentine's Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion, as well as in the Lutheran Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates Saint Valentine's Day but on July 6th and July 30th respectively. The concept of love and sharing is not restricted to only Western philosophy. It existed long in other societies but today its appreciation is limited to modern western civilisation based on religious affinity. Since christianity came alongside with western
civilisation, ignorance of African Scholars about origin and pactices is permissible.
In its natural form, love, care and sharing known as Valentine today is a religious evolution. It is not a monopoly of any specific religion.Valentine has developed into a day where love as emotional instinct is celebrated publicly. Secret admirers exploit this day to convey state of minds and feelings towards each other, especially opposite sexes. It can be argued that Valentine is a day to over
come every social restraints by sending gifts and messages to love ones including un expressed lovers.

It is established that this practice of shariing love and care eisted in ints advanced form in the culture of tarok people in Plateau State of North Central Nigeria long before the advent of colonialism. Valentine is the equivalence of "nkpang izem". It is celebrated annually as part part the festival of "nche orim", which is a major masquerade festival. This festival plays a significant in the traditions and culture of tarok people. It has no fixed date but fixed period of farming season which varies with clans and sub clans. While the Selyir Clan celebrates nche orim during dry season betweenthe months of March to May, the Gunnung of plain tarok observed theirs from June to September. For the Iwan of Hill tarok, the festival period is October to November of every year. Orim bin or ndangmar is celebrated periodically depending on the disposition of the Chief priest and the council of elders.
During this festival, the Orim will visit every compound of adherents and demand that unmarried ladies disclose their lovers. This has to do with un expressed admiration, where no gesture of such has been exchanged. The lady through her mother or female guidian mention the name of her secret lover then it is communicated to orim masquerades who in turn make it public. If the person mentioned by the lady is very popular within the community, then Orim will immediately couched a song with his name.
The lover mentioned now is required to bring gifts but the different here is not to the lady but to orm bearers.The joy and satisfaction accompanying such declaration is usually unprecedented amongst the lovers and the community in general. 

Subsequently, the man will send personal gifts to the lady who will accept and present same to her mother. This follow up with gifts established datingrelationship which ultimately terminates with marriage. Although the practice may differs, but the intention is unanimous. While Valentine of today revolves around show of love to all. In practice, it is dominated mostly by moral perversion which creates more pains thereafter instead of anticipated pleasure. The tarok traditional philosophy of valentine encourages the evolution of family units through carefully supervised process. However, the western traditions of Valentine can best be described as day of legitimate immorality where sexual pervasion is licensed. Human relationship is brought under intense economic strains just to up set emotional budgets. Secret lovers will be unmasked through wonderful presentation of gifts. So many relationships will emerge but will not survive the next Valentine because it is based on fraudulent emotional foundations. In all, the tarok concept stands taller compared to contemporary practices of
Valentine because of its utility value which contributes positively to social advancement.
As the world celebrates lovers day, I challenge all to unveiled secret relationships that will benefit humanity and promote peace, joy and care, any thing on the contrary reduces its intent to mere immoral jamboree.
Who is my secret lover, disclose it today.
Happy Valentine