A HISTORY OF

VALENTINES DAY

esides
known

as

being
the

shortest month of the

calendar
year,
February also has the distinction
of being the only month to host
a holiday focusing upon love
and romance --- Valentines Day.
On the 14th, cupids, red hearts
and valentines cards are in
evidence everywhere as symbols
of individuals reaffirming their
belief in the supreme importance
of love.
While exactly how Valentines
Day came to be is not clear, it is
linked to St. Valentine, the
patron saint of lovers. He, like
St. Nicholas and St. Patrick, is
dear to the hearts of Americans.
St. Valentine was known as
Valentinus, a priest who lived in
Rome during the third century
and aided Christian martyrs
during their persecution under
Emperor Claudius II. Doing so
was a crime and Valentinus was
arrested and imprisoned.
After serving a year in jail,
Valentinus was brought before
the emperor, who offered the
priest the chance to save his life
by converting to the Roman
gods. Valentinus had a similar
idea in mind for Claudius--he
wanted him to convert to
Christianity.
For refusing to adopt Roman
beliefs,
Valentinus
was
condemned and, on February
14th, 270 A.D., beaten with
clubs, stoned, and beheaded.
Before his death, however,
legend has it that Valentinus fell
in love with the blind daughter
of the jailer. (Both the jailer and

daughter
converted
to
Christianity and were later
sentenced to death by Claudius.)
As a way of bidding goodbye,
he wrote her a farewell message
on the eve of his death and
signed
it,
From
Your
Valentine.
These famous
words have been associated with
the holiday ever since.
There is evidence to suggest,
however, that the celebration of
Valentines days was not begun
simply as a means to
commemorate Valentines death.
As it happens, on the very day
that the priest died, the ancient
Romans
were
celebrating
festival and had done so
annually for many years. This
pagan event, called Lupercalia,
honored the Roman God
Faunus, patron of husbandry,
hunting, herding, and animal
life. At the festival, a fertility
ritual was practiced called
februatiofrom which the word
February is derived.

hristian priests looked

down such pagan
customs, considering
them to be heathenlike. However, as much as the
Christians disapproved of the
carryings-on, they realized it
would be impossible to put an
end to them. So, in an effort to
make the feasts more acceptable
and thereby bring Christianity in
them, hence St. Valentines
association with the holiday.
Originally at the feast, for
example, it was a practice for
boys to draw the names of girls
to accompany them to the
celebration. Since Christians
looked upon this negatively,
they decided the change the
process by giving it a Christian

touch. Eventually the boys were

drawing the names of saints
instead. This process gradually
evolved into the custom we
know as giving valentines.
Today in the U.S. alone, no
fewer than five hundred million
Valentines Day cards, ranging
from those tender in verse to
those that are comical and
sometimes vulgar, are purchased
each year. Thats not unusual,
considering that Valentines Day
ranks second highest in holidays
only to Christmas in the number
of cards exchanged.

his February 14th, take

the time and effort to
makes Valentines Day
and
enjoyable,
romantic time for yourself and
that special someone. Both of
you can think sentimental
thoughts, read poetry and listen
to torch songs in the truest sense
of holidaytogether.
Despite the tragic tale of
Valentinus all those centuries
ago, his legacy is indeed a sweet
one: the next time you see the
smiling, cherub face of Cupid, it
could be that of a man who met
his fatin the name of love.

A HISTORY OF
VALENTINES DAY