In today’s post, we will look at the history of this famous holiday and the legends surrounding it.

Valentine’s day is one of the most popular holiday celebrated of all time, accounting for 25% of all cards sent during this month.

Although  it is popular holiday, the history behind it is often clouded by legends and obscurity.  This holiday has roots dating to the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a celebration for fertility that was annually held on February 15.  In an effort to Christianize this pagan holiday, Pope  Gelasius I  declared February 14 to be St. Valentine’s Day.  However, which St. Valentine Pope Gelasius I intended to honor remains a mystery.  According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, there are at least three early Saints by the name of Valentine.  Also, rather incredulously, all were said to have been martyred on February 14.

Many scholars now believe that the St. valentine of this holiday was priest who fell out of favor to the Roman Emperor Claudius II around 270.  And this is where the legend of the holiday behinds.  According to one legend, the emperor had forbidden the marriage of young men, claiming that bachelors made better soldiers. This is because married soldiers became heart-sick and homesick when away from their wives and home.

Against  the Emperors orders, Valentine continued to marry couples in secret.  He also gave couples and those persecuted Christians, parchment hearts, to “remind these men of their vows and God’s love.”  He was eventually found out and put to death by the Romans.  In another legend, while St. Valentine was in jail, he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter. Before his execution, he sent her a letter, signed “from your Valentine.”

The most plausible story, is that Valentine’s day is not centered on passionate love, but on Christian love and faith, and that St. Valentine was martyred for refusing to renounce his religion.

It wasn’t until 1400’s that Valentine’s day was linked with romance. And it was Geoffrey Chaucer who first linked this holiday.  He composed a poem in 1381, to honor the engagement between England’s Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. He honored the poetic tradition of associating the occasion with Valentines day.

Since then, Valentine’s day has become a day in which people, mainly couples show their love and appreciation to each other,

I hope you enjoyed this bit of history,

Happy Valentine’s Day,

Alyssa

 

information found at infoplease.com and Wikipedia