Happy Valentine’s Day! February 14th is the Day of Love. But do you know why? Well, there is a not a definite answer. Many of you have probably heard of St. Valentine. One legend says that he was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. There was an Emperor named Claudius II. He outlawed marriages for young men because he saw that single men made better soldiers that those that had a wife and family. Valentine found this unjust and he performed marriages for the lovers in secret. When Claudius found out what was happening, he was ordered to be put to death. Another legend says that Valentine was killed after helping Christians escape Roman prisons where they were beaten and tortured.
There is another myth that Valentine sent a ‘valentine’ greeting while in prison to a young girl, the jailor’s daughter. It is said that he signed it ‘From your Valentine.’ No matter which story is true, he had a flair for romance.
Now that we have the who, what about the day? Why February 14th? Some think it is because it is that day that Valentine’s death or day of burial. Some claim that it is the day that Christian church uses to ‘Christianize’ the celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival (a fertility festival dedicated to the Roman god of agriculture). It was also the official start of spring in ancient Rome and was viewed as a time for perfection.
No matter which story is true, to the current day lovers, it is about flowers (that are way overpriced in my opinion), cards, chocolate, and stuffed animals. Hope everyone is enjoying a good Sunday with their significant other.
http://www.history.com/content/valentine
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