Saint
Valentine's Day, commonly known as Valentine's Day, or the Feast of Saint
Valentine, is observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many
countries around the world, although it remains a working day in most of them
The Legend of St. Valentine
The
history of Valentine's Day--and the story of its patron saint--is shrouded in
mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of
romance, and that St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges
of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and
how did he become associated with this ancient rite?
The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl--possibly his jailor's daughter--who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and--most importantly--romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.
The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl--possibly his jailor's daughter--who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and--most importantly--romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.
While some
believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to
commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial--which probably
occurred around A.D. 270--others claim that the Christian church may have
decided to place St. Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an
effort to "Christianize" the pagan celebration of Lupercalia.
Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility
festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the
Roman founders Romulus and Remus.
To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat's hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.
To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat's hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.
Lupercalia
survived the initial rise of Christianity and but was outlawed—as it was deemed
“un-Christian”--at the end of the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared
February 14 St. Valentine's Day. It was not until much later, however, that the
day became definitively associated with love. During the Middle Ages, it was
commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of
birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine's
Day should be a day for romance.
Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.
Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.
Story of St. Valentine
"The
story of Valentine's Day begins in the third century with an oppressive Roman
emperor and a humble Christian Martyr. The emperor was Claudius II.
The Christian was Valentinus.
Claudius
had ordered all Romans to worship twelve gods, and had made it a crime
punishable by death to associate with Christians. But Valentinus was
dedicated to the ideals of Christ; not even the threat of death could keep him
from practicing his beliefs. He was arrested and imprisoned.
During the
last weeks of Valentinus's life a remarkable thing happened. Seeing that
he was a man of learning, the jailer asked whether his daughter, Julia, might
be brought to Valentinus for lessons. She had been blind since birth.
Julia was a pretty young girl with a quick mind. Valentinus read
stories of Rome's history to her. He described the world of nature to
her. He taught her arithmetic and told her about God. She saw the
world through his eyes, trusted his wisdom, and found comfort in his quiet
strength.
"Valentinus,
does God really hear our prayers?" Julia asked one day.
"Yes,
my child, He hears each one."
"Do
you know what I pray for every morning and every night? I pray that I
might see. I want so much to see everything you've told me about!"
"God does
what is best for us if we will only believe in Him," Valentinus said.
"Oh,
Valentinus, I do believe! I do!" She knelt and grasped his hand.
They sat
quietly together, each praying. Suddenly there was a brilliant light in
the prison cell. Radiant, Julia screamed, "Valentinus, I can
see! I can see!"
"Praise
be to God!" Valentinus exclaimed, and he knelt in prayer.
On the eve
of his death Valentinus wrote a last note to Julia, urging her to stay close to
God. He signed it, "From your Valentine." His sentence
was carried out the next day, February 14, 270 A.D., near a gate that was later
named Porta Valentini in his memory. He was buried at what is now the
Church of Praxedes in Rome. It is said that Julia planted a
pink-blossomed almond tree near his grave. Today, the almond tree
remains a symbol of abiding love and friendship. On each February 14,
Saint Valentine's Day, messages of affection, love, and devotion are exchanged
around the world."
Valentine's
Day began to be popularly celebrated around the 17th century. By the middle of
the 18th, it was common for friends and lovers of all social classes to
exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes, and by 1900 printed
cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing
technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their
emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged.
Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of
sending Valentine's Day greetings.
Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap." Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines.
Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap." Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines.
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