Valentine's Day is celebrated globally, but the story behind it is less commonly known. The legend of Saint Valentine is shrouded in mystery and the link to romance seems non-existent. So how did Valentine's Day come to be? Let's dive back in time and revisit this 2000-year-old history.
The true identity of Saint Valentine was never uncovered, however the Catholic Church recognised that it could have been one of three men - all of who shared the name. Unfortunately for them, they were all dealt the same fate - martyrdom.
The legends begin in 269 AD when Roman Emperor Claudius II ruled. He decided single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, so he outlawed marriage for young men.
A priest called Saint Valentine - often disputed as the Bishop of Terni - defied this injustice by performing marriages for young lovers in secret. Eventually, Valentine's acts were discovered and Claudius ordered he be put to death.
Another crime Valentine may have committed to result in martyrdom was helping Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.
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Once imprisoned, Valentine supposedly formed a relationship with the daughter of his jailer, and if legend is to be believed, he healed her blindness.
As a result, her whole house converted to Christianity, which sealed his fate in the eyes of his jailer. As the legend goes, he was tortured and beheaded on February 14. His farewell letter to the loved was signed "From your Valentine”, possibly the first Valentine ever sent.
Although Valentine's true identity is unknown, the stories all portray him as a compassionate, heroic and romantic figure. His reputation would echo through the centuries and he would become one of the most popular saints in France and England in the Middle Ages.
When does this get romantic?
Valentine's Day replaced the ancient festival Lupercalia which celebrated fertility and health. The holiday was deemed un-Christian by the Pope in 496 AD and was replaced with the Feast of Saint Valentine to honour the late Christian martyr.
It would be 900 years until the day was once again associated with love when the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a poem in the 14th century acknowledging Valentine's Day as a romantic celebration.
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This sprouted inspiration and soon people began to write poems known as "valentines” to their lovers. The romance was further fuelled by the mating season for birds falling at a similar time, connecting the 'love birds’ of early spring to the date.
In 17th century England, couples began to express their love for each other by giving flowers, confectionery and sending greeting cards known as 'valentines'. Over time, this idea kept growing in popularity, eventually bringing us to the love-soaked day it is today.
Does the whole world celebrate Valentine's Day?
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is extremely popular, particularly with young couples in countries such as the US, UK and Australia, but it is celebrated all around the world.
In the Philippines, Valentine's Day is the most popular day to get married and is the most popular day for couples to celebrate their anniversaries.
But some countries there have been attempts to stop or limit people celebrating Valentine's Day, with varying degrees of success.
In more recent years, a challenger has risen to meet Valentine - Singles Day. Starting in 1993, this holiday has grown more and more popular every year and offers a day for those not in a relationship to treat themselves, get together with friends and celebrate being single.
The day was created in China and takes place on November 11, double 11. It's now the biggest online shopping day in the world – four times bigger than Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
Valentine's Day is named for the martyred Christian saint named Valentine. He was a bishop that performed marriages between forbidden couples. Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14th since it is associated with the feast day of St. Valentine, a Christian martyr.
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a saint for his sacrifice, and chose February 14, the date of his death, as the day on which he would be honored. Centuries later, in medieval England and France, people believed that February 14 was also the day that many birds, returning for the spring, picked their mates.
Others say it is rooted in the history of Saint Valentine himself. The evidence indicates that the origins of Valentine's Day are more likely tied to a 14th-century poem by Geoffrey Chaucer than to a 3rd-century Christian saint.
Turns out, it was a pretty common name during Late Antiquity. As far as anyone can tell, the Saint Valentine of Valentine's Day was one of two guys preaching the good word in Rome in the third century. One of these two was martyred on February 14th 269, thus giving us the date for his eponymous day.
It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine, and through later folk traditions it has also become a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.
Valentine's Day did not come to be celebrated as a day of romance until about the 14th century. Although there were several Christian martyrs named Valentine, the day may have taken its name from a priest who was martyred about 270 ce by the emperor Claudius II Gothicus.
While imprisoned, Valentine cared for his fellow prisoners and also his jailor's blind daughter. Legend has it that Valentine cured the girl's blindness and that his final act before being executed was to write her a love message signed 'from your Valentine'. Valentine was executed on 14 February in the year 270.
One Valentine was a priest in third-century Rome who defied Emperor Claudius II after the ruler outlawed marriage for young men. St. Valentine would perform marriages in secret for young lovers, ultimately leading to his death.
The first depiction of the heart as a symbol of love comes from the medieval times, in an illustration in a french manuscript from the 1250s called Roman de la poire, or "romance of the pear", in which a kneeling lover offers up a pinecone-shaped heart to his beloved maiden.
Valentine's Day is a day that celebrates love, primarily romantic love. Romantic love is wonderful (I love chocolate hearts as much as anyone) but we must remember that not everyone finds Valentine's Day a happy celebration. It can be very lonely. God gives us a much deeper, more life-giving love.
He was imprisoned in 269 AD, and was tortured, and beheaded on 14th February. He later became canonised by the Catholic church, and there after Saint Valentine became known as the patron saint of love. The act of giving gifts, such as flowers, chocolates and jewellery to loved ones grew over the years in popularity.
The name Valentine comes from a Latin word meaning “strength.” There are many legends about it, but it's ultimately unclear how Valentine's Day became associated with the tradition of exchanging the affectionate gifts and love notes that we call valentines.
Since the origin of Valentine's Day as a romantic holiday only dates back to the 14th century, the Bible doesn't have any specific messages about the day—but it does have a lot to say on the subject of love.
Valentine is likely based on a combination of two Valentines who were executed on February 14 in different years by Roman Emperor Claudius II in the 3rd century A.C.E., according to NPR. The Catholic Church maybe have established St. Valentine's Day to honor these two martyrs.
While the holiday has undergone secularization over time, its origins in Christian martyrdom and acts of love align with broader spiritual themes of compassion, selflessness, and devotion. For some, Valentine's Day serves as a reminder of the importance of love in both human relationships and spiritual practice.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
Though some historians believe that Valentine's Day commemorates the death of St. Valentine on February 14, others believe that the holiday actually has its origins in a Pagan fertility festival called "Lupercalia," which was celebrated on February 15 in ancient Rome.
Valentine wrote the first “Valentine” greeting to a young girl he tutored and fell in love with while he was imprisoned for the crime of officiating soldiers' weddings. According to The History Channel, before dying, he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” which is often used today.
1 John 4:7-12. Dear friends: let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Introduction: My name is Geoffrey Lueilwitz, I am a zealous, encouraging, sparkling, enchanting, graceful, faithful, nice person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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