Saint Valentin: Amateka, inkomoko n’uko yabaye umunsi mpuzamahanga w’urukundo

Buri mwaka ku wa 14 Gashyantare, isi yose yizihiza Umunsi w’Abakundana uzwi nka Saint Valentin. Ni umunsi urangwa no guhana impano, koherezanya amakarita y’urukundo, indabo, ndetse no kugaragaza amarangamutima ku mugaragaro. Ariko se uyu munsi waturutse he? Ese ni umuco wa kera cyangwa ni igitekerezo cyavutse vuba aha?

Amateka agaragaza ko inkomoko ya Saint Valentin ishingiye ku muhango wa gikirisitu n’umuco wa kera w’Abaromani. Mu kinyejana cya gatatu nyuma ya Yezu Kristu, mu Bwami bw’Abaroma bwari buyobowe n’Umwami w’abami Claudius II, bivugwa ko hari umupadiri witwaga Valentin (cyangwa Valentine). Uyu mupadiri ngo yakundaga gufasha abakundana bashaka kurushinga mu ibanga, kuko uwo mwami yabuzaga abasore kurongora, yemeza ko abasirikare batubatse babasha kurwana neza kurusha abafite imiryango.

Valentin ntiyemeranyaga n’icyo cyemezo, akomeza gushyingira abakundana rwihishwa. Amaherezo yarafashwe, arafungwa, maze ku wa 14 Gashyantare yicwa azira ukwemera kwe no gushyigikira urukundo. Nyuma y’urupfu rwe, Kiliziya Gatolika yamushyize mu rwego rw’abatagatifu, ari ho haturutse izina “Saint Valentine.” Uyu munsi rero watangiye wizihizwa mu rwego rwo kumwibuka no kuzirikana ubutumwa bw’urukundo no kwitanga.

Hari n’indi nkomoko ijyanye n’umunsi w’Abaromani witwaga Lupercalia, wizihizwaga hagati muri Gashyantare, ugamije kwizihiza uburumbuke n’itangira ry’impeshyi. Mu rwego rwo guhindura uwo muhango wa gipagani, Kiliziya yashyizeho umunsi wa Saint Valentin ku itariki ya 14 Gashyantare, iwushyira mu murongo wa gikirisitu.

Mu kinyejana cya 14, umwanditsi w’Umwongereza Geoffrey Chaucer ni umwe mu batumye Saint Valentin itangira gufatwa nk’umunsi w’urukundo. Mu bisigo bye, yagaragaje ko ku wa 14 Gashyantare ari bwo inyoni zitangira gushaka abo zibana, bituma uwo munsi ufitwa n’amarangamutima y’urukundo. Kuva icyo gihe, mu Burayi hose hatangiye umuco wo koherezanya amabaruwa n’amakarita agaragaza urukundo.

Mu kinyejana cya 18 n’icya 19, cyane cyane mu Bwongereza no muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika, Saint Valentin yatangiye gufata isura y’ubucuruzi. Amakarita yanditse mu nganda, impano, shokora n’indabo byatangiye kugurishwa ku bwinshi. Uko imyaka yagiye ishira, uyu munsi warushijeho gukwirakwira ku isi hose, ugera no muri Afurika.

Mu Rwanda no mu bindi bihugu byo muri Afurika, Saint Valentin yatangiye kwamamara mu myaka ya vuba, cyane cyane bitewe n’itangazamakuru n’imbuga nkoranyambaga. Uyu munsi usigaye wizihizwa n’abashakanye, abakundana, inshuti ndetse n’imiryango, aho abantu bagaragaza urukundo mu buryo butandukanye.

Nubwo hari abawufata nk’umunsi w’ubucuruzi gusa, hari n’abawubonamo amahirwe yo kongera gusubiza ku murongo umubano wabo, gusaba imbabazi no kongera kwiyemeza gukundana. Abahanga mu by’imibanire bavuga ko urukundo rudakwiye kwizihizwa umunsi umwe gusa, ahubwo ko Saint Valentin ari urwibutso rwo gusigasira no kubaka umubano buri munsi.

Mu mizi yawo, Saint Valentin si umunsi w’indabo n’impano gusa, ahubwo ni umunsi ufite amateka y’igitambo n’ubutwari, wavutse mu rwego rwo kurengera uburenganzira bwo gukundana no kurushinga. Ni umunsi wibutsa abantu ko urukundo ari inkingi y’ubuzima bw’umuryango n’imibanire myiza.

Ku wa 14 Gashyantare 2026, abazizihiza Saint Valentin bazaba bakurikiza umuco umaze ibinyejana byinshi, ariko ubutumwa bwawo bukomeza kuba bumwe: gukundana, kwiyubaha no kwitangira abo dukunda.

By: Florence Uwamaliya