Valentine's Day
VALENTINE’S DAY 14th FEBRUARY
WHY IS IT ON 14th FEBRUARY?
The modern St. Valentine’s Day celebrations are said to have been derived from both ancient Christian and Roman tradition.
As per one legend, the holiday has originated from the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalis/Lupercalia, a fertility celebration that used to observed annually on February 15. But the rise of Christianity in Europe saw many pagan holidays being renamed for and dedicated to the early Christian martyrs. In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius turned Lupercalia into a Christian feast day and set its observance a day earlier, on February 14. He proclaimed February 14 to be the feast day in honour of Saint Valentine, a Roman martyr who lived in the 3rd century.
WHO WAS ST VALENTINE?
Most scholars believe that St. Valentine was a Bishop who lived around 270 AD in Rome and attracted the disfavor of Roman emperor Claudius II who ruled during this time.
THE MARRIAGE BAN
Claudius II felt that married men were more emotionally attached to their families, and thus,believed that marriage made the men weak. So he issued an edict forbidding marriage to assure quality soldiers.
The kindly bishop Valentine also realized the injustice of the decree, and held secret marriage ceremonies for soldiers in opposition to Claudius II
It was only a matter of time before Claudius came to know of this “friend of lovers”, and had him arrested.
THE JAILOR ASTERIUS’S DAUGHTER
While awaiting his sentence in prison, Valentine was approached by his jailor, Asterius. It was said that Valentine had the power to heal people. Asterius had a blind daughter and knowing of the miraculous powers of Valentine he requested the latter to restore the sight of his blind daughter. The Catholic legend has it that Valentine did this. Whatever the fact, it appears that Valentine in some way did succeed to help Asterius’s blind daughter
CLAUDIUS MEETS VALENTINE
When Claudius II met Valentine, he was said to have been impressed by the dignity and conviction of the latter. However, Valentine refused to agree with the emperor regarding the ban on marriage. It is also said that the emperor tried to convert Valentine to the Roman gods but was unsuccesful in his efforts. Valentine refused to recognize Roman Gods and even attempted to convert the emperor. This angered Claudius II who gave the order of execution of Valentine.
VALENTINE’S LAST MESSAGE
Meanwhile, a deep friendship had been formed between Valentine and Asterius’ daughter. It is said that just before his execution, Valentine asked for a pen and paper from his jailor, and signed a farewell message to her “From Your Valentine”, a phrase that lived ever after.
THE 14TH OF FEBRUARY AGAIN
Valentine is believed to have been executed on February 14, 270 AD. He was buried on the Via Flaminia. His relics are at the Church of Saint Praxed in Rome and at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland.
Thus 14th February became a day for all lovers and Valentine became its Patron Saint. It began to be annually observed by young Romans who offered handwritten greetings of affection, known as Valentines, on this day to the women they admired. With the coming of Christianity, the day came to be known as St. Valentine’s Day.
ST VALENTINE’S DAY & ROMANCE
But it was only during the 14th century that St. Valentine’s Day became definitively associated with love. Chaucer is credited as the one who first linked St. Valentine’s Day with romance. In medieval France and England it was believed that birds mated on February 14. Hence, Chaucer used the image of birds as the symbol of lovers in poems dedicated to the day.
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