Happy Valentine’s
Day!!
Valentine’s Day
or Saint Valentine’s Day or Feast of Saint Valentine is celebrated on February 14th. How did Valentine’s Day begin?
One legend has it
that Valentine was a third century Roman priest. Emperor Claudius II declared that single me
made better soldiers and outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine defied Emperor Claudius II and
married young couples so that they wouldn’t have to fight. Emperor Claudius II discovered Valentine’s act
and ordered his death.
Another legend has the namesake of Valentine’s Day as Saint Valentine
of Terri. He lived in the 3rd
century and was the first bishop of Terri.
He would hand out roses to new young couples to
wish them a happy union. He was persecuted and beheaded
on February 14th by Emperor Claudius II because of his faith.
Others believe Valentine’s Day originated from the Roman festival of Lupercalia held mid-February. The festival celebrated the coming of spring and included pairing off women with men in a lottery. Pope Gelasius I then replaced Lupercalia with St. Valentine’s Day in the 5th century.
Around the 14th century St. Valentine’s Day became celebrated as a day of romance. The oldest valentine still in existence today is a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife in 1415. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London after his capture after the Battle of Agincourt.
18th century England is when Valentine’s Day grew into a day in which couples expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, candy, greeting cards (valentines).