Life is funny February 11 Super Bowl #superbowl Sunday but it was also World Marriage Day #worlmarriageday which was the perfect day to remind me how much I love my husband David because I don’t care for #Football and he wanted to watch the Superbowl. I made David his favorite dinner of Chili Dogs and grabbed my book I’ve been wanting to read and went and sat on the couch close to David.
I listened to David as he shared things about the Football game and even watched the Half-Time Show with him and ate a Chili Cheese Hamburger with David. Which allowed us to celebrate our marriage and my husband even though David didn’t have a clue it was World Marriage Day @worldmarriage day which I plan on sharing with David on his day off and taking him to one of his favorite restaurants not only for World Marriage Day but Valentines Day.
World Marriage Day is celebrated every year on the second Sunday in February. sometimes World Marriage Day falls on the same day as St. Valentine’s Day. This year, World Marriage Day takes place on February 11th. World Marriage Day officially began in 1983 in the United States of America. World Marriage Day was popularized by the Catholic Church, the purpose of World Marriage Day is to emphasize the beauty of marriage and to honor husbands and wives for their faithfulness and sacrifices.
World Marriage Day highlights the promise of a marital union and the beauty of being a lawfully wedded couple under the eyes of Christ. World Marriage Day was brought into order by the Worldwide Marriage Encounter, an initiative that aims to improve the married life of struggling couples. World Marriage Day shares the marriage and honors the sacrifices and faithfulness of husbands and wives. Catholic couples celebrate the day by attending the Sunday mass and recommitting themselves to the institution of marriage.
HISTORY OF WORLD MARRIAGE DAY
World Marriage Day is an offshoot of Worldwide Marriage Encounter, an apostolate with the mission to help couples enjoy blissful and happy marriages. At its core, World Marriage Day celebrates the husband and wife as the foundation of the family and sees the family as the basic unit of society. World Marriage Day honors the beauty of nuptial faithfulness, devotion, sacrifice, commitment, and joy.
Throughout history, the definition of marriage has been subjected to tremendous evolution. Monogamous marriages sure sound like an arcane institution to the upcoming generation, but it is a rather new concept as well. It wasn’t until 1882 that polygamy was deemed illegal in America. For the Catholic Church, married life is more than the union of two individuals. Marriage is the foundation of humanity and the cradle of civilization. World Marriage Day urges the community to carry out their married lives with joy and faith and make family life the biggest priority of their lives.
Through World Marriage Day, light is shed on the deterioration of family values in modern society. World Mariage Day calls for parishes to accompany the married couples every step of the way and persuade them to join the Church. World Marriage Day is also the celebration of emerging diversity in the institution of marriage and the incorporation of various heritages and ethnicities that add to the grandeur of God’s creations.
World Marriage Day traces its origin to 1981 when married couples in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, asked the mayor of the City, the governor of the State, and the Bishop of the church to proclaim February 14th St. Valentine’s Day as We Believe in Marriage Day. Following the success of the event, the idea of celebrating the day was presented to and adopted by the National Leadership of Worldwide Marriage Encounter.
The following year — in 1982 — 43 governors in the U.S. approved and officially announced February 12th as We Believe in Marriage Day. Eventually, some U.S. military bases in many foreign Countries joined in the celebrations. In 1983, the day witnessed two major changes: its name was changed to World Marriage Day and the day was designated to be celebrated on the second Sunday in February annually. A decade later — in 1993 — Saint Pope John Paul II approved and imparted his Apostolic Blessings on World Marriage Day. In the Catholic church, World Marriage Week still takes place each year from February 7 — February 14.
To date, World Marriage Day is celebrated every second Sunday of February in many Countries around the world, especially in the Catholic Church. like its maiden edition, the day still falls on February 14th, coinciding with Valentine’s Day.
Let’s Celebrate WORLD MARRIAGE DAY
- Retake the vows you took at the time of your wedding in a cozy ceremony, and recommit yourself to the pursuit of your marital union. Being married doesn’t stop you from dating each other. With growing responsibilities like kids and work, having fun together may get increasingly challenging.
- World Marriage Day is a good day to ignite your relationship by dressing up for a dinner date or picnic, hiking in the woods, getting a couple’s massage, or visiting a new City, Museum, or Art Gallery. Walk slowly holding hands, soak in the scenery, take pictures, and appreciate each other’s simple company.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MARRIAGE IN AMERICA
- Couples name trust as the most crucial element for a happy marriage over sex, compatibility, friendship, and forgiveness.
- The cost of an average wedding is $20,000, and the cost of an average divorce is $20,000.
- In the United States, about 17 tons of gold are made into wedding rings annually.
WHY WORLD MARRIAGE DAY IS IMPORTANT
- World Marriage Day is aimed to celebrate the “husband and wife as the foundation of the family and the basic unit of society.” World Marriage Day aims at honoring the idea that marriage should embody faithfulness, loyalty, commitment, and joy in the daily-ness of life. Marriage is a beautiful union of two souls, which transcends the physical nature of this coming together. World Marriage Day illuminates critical light on marriage and shows that although it’s hard, it’s worth it.
- World Marriage Day isn’t complete if you can’t relive the fondest memories of your marital journey. World Marriage Day is a holiday to spend time with your spouse, appreciate what you have, and plan for a more blissful future. All of us have benefited from the station of marriage, regardless of our marital status. Marriage guards life and makes us better at navigating life. Marriage must be intentionally nourished by the Christian community and must be accepted as a way of life.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
