History
Of Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is long associated with
a day for romance where lovers exchange presents
and spend the day together. St Valentine's Day is
believed to originate from both Christian and Roman
tradition.
The association of the middle of February with love
and fertility dates to ancient times. In the calendar
of Ancient Athens, the period between mid January
and mid February was the month of Gamelion, which
was dedicated to the sacred marriage of Zeus and
Hera.
(More Related : Valentines
day wallpapers)
In Ancient Rome, the day of February 15 was Lupercalia,
the festival of Lupercus, the god of fertility,
who was represented as half-naked and dressed in
goat skins. As part of the purification ritual,
the priests of Lupercus would sacrifice goats to
the god, and after drinking wine, they would run
through the streets of Rome holding pieces of the
goat skin above their heads, touching anyone they
met. Young women especially would come forth voluntarily
for the occasion, in the belief that being so touched
would render them fruitful and bring easy childbirth.
The Catholic Church recognised 3 different saints
by the name of Valentine all of whom were martyred
(According to the Catholic Encyclopedia 1908). The
3 of them are
- a priest in Rome who suffered martyrdom in the
second half of the 3rd century and was buried on
the Via Flaminia.
- a bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) also suffered
martyrdom in the second half of the 3rd century
and was also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in
a different location than the priest.
- a martyr in North Africa, about whom little else
is known.
The connection between St. Valentine and romantic
love is not mentioned in any early histories and
is regarded by historians as purely a matter of
legend. The feast of St. Valentine was first declared
to be on February 14 by Pope Gelasius I around 498.
There is a widespread legend that he created the
day to counter the practice held on Lupercalia of
young men and women pairing off as lovers by drawing
their names out of an urn, but this practice is
not attested in any sources from that era.
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 --
his crop of potential soldiers. 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.
(More Related : Valentines
day messages)
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, Valentine actually
sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in
prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with
a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter
-- who visited him during his confinement. Before his
death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which
he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is
still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine
legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his
appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly,
romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages,
Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England
and France.
Tell your friends and family
about this page!
Other St Valentine's Day Articles
- Roses
for valentines day
- Valentine's
day flowers
- Valentine's
day gift for her
- Valentine's
day gift for him
- Valentine's
day gift ideas
Facebook us!