Cupid is believed to be the Greek god of desire, erotic love, attraction, and affection. Rumors suggest that Cupid is the son of Mars, the god of war, and Venus, the goddess of love, beauty, and sex. With this combination of genes, Cupid was thought to be a very attractive god. He fell in love with a mortal named Psyche, who was known for her beauty in her home town which made his mom, Venus, very jealous. Psyche also had two sisters that were jealous of her relationship with Cupid. He was a very loving husband. Between his jealous mother and jealous sister-in-laws, he encountered many obstacles with his marriage with Psyche. Many present depictions, present Cupid as a chubby boy with a magical bow and arrow, but Cupid was actually known for his angelic form and beauty. With this bow and arrow, Cupid can make a person or a diety filled with uncontrollable desire with one shot. With this power, Cupid is often affiliated with a popular day that humans celebrate, Valentine’s Day, where couples use this day to show their love and affection. This is usually celebrated on Febuary 14th, and is believed to be the birthdate of Cupid. Many believe that the reason why there are so many couples on Valentine’s Day is because Cupid is shooting a lot of arrows on his birthday because it makes him happy. His shots are thought to bring humans a desire for love and affection and humans show this love by presenting gifts to their loved ones. Often these glints include flowers, chocolates, love letters, and other romantic gestures. Although humans believe that Valentine’s Day is all about love and Cupid’s love arrows that make people fall deeply in love, Cupid is actually mischievous. In some cases, Cupid has shot lead-tipped arrows which made people fall deeply in hatred. This is a little known fact because Cupid usually shoot gold-tipped arrows that make people fall in love. They forget about the mischievous side of Cupid and has made him a symbol of Valentine’s Day, as he should be for his love for Psyche was too strong and very admirable.
-Amy Liu