Saint Valentine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Saint Valentine or Saint Valentinus refers to one of a number of
saints, two of whom, one a martyred Roman priest, the other, a
martyred bishop of Terni (Interamna) share the feast day of
February 14 (popularly known as Valentine's Day).
The passion of the former Valentine is part of the legend of Saints
Marius and Martha and their companions; that of the latter has no
better historical foundation: so that no argument can be drawn from
either account to differentiate the two saints. It would appear
from the two accounts that both belonged to the same period, i.e.
to the reign of the emperor Claudius II Gothicus; that both died on
the same day; and that both were buried on the Via Flaminia, but at
different distances from Rome. The Martyrologium Hieronymianum
mentions only one Valentinus: Interamnae miliario LXIIII. via
Flaminia natale Valentini. It is probable that the basilica
situated at the second milestone on the Via Flaminia was also
dedicated to him. The date of his death remains undetermined.
The Saint Valentinus who appears as the apostle of Rhaetia, and who
receives veneration in Passau as its first bishop, flourished in
the 5th century.
Although the name of Saint Valentine is very popular in England,
apparently no church has been dedicated to him. For the special
observances formerly commonly connected with Saint Valentine's Eve
and Day, to which allusion is frequently made by English writers,
such works as John Brand's Popular Antiquities (edited by W. C.
Hazlitt, vol. ii. pp. 606-11, London, 1905), W. Hone's Every-Day
Book, and Chambers's Book of Days may be consulted. Their
appropriateness to the spring season is, in a general way perhaps,
obvious enough, but the association of the lovers' festival with St
Valentine seems to be purely accidental.
See Acta Sanctorum, February, ii. 753, 756, and January, i. 1094;
G. B. de Rossi, Bullettino di archeologia cristiana (1871), p. 101
and (187
p. 59.
The relics of the of one of the claimants to the title St.
Valentine are now interred in a Carmelite church in Dublin, to
which they were donated by a nineteenth century pope. Many tourists
visit the saint's remains on St. Valentine's Day.
Origins of St. Valentine's Day
There are varying opinions as to the origin of Valentine's Day.
Some experts state that it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman
who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on
February 14, 269 A.D., the same day that had been devoted to love
lotteries. Legend also says that St. Valentine left a farewell note
for the jailer's daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it
"From Your Valentine". Other aspects of the story say that Saint
Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign of
Emperor Claudius. Claudius then had Valentine jailed for defying
him. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honor St.
Valentine.
Gradually, February 14 became the date for exchanging love messages
and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. The date was
marked by sending poems and simple gifts such as flowers. There was
often a social gathering or a ball.
In the United States, Miss Esther Howland is given credit for
sending the first valentine cards. Commercial valentines were
introduced in the 1800's and now the date is very commercialised.
The town of Loveland, Colorado, does a large post office business
around February 14. The spirit of good continues as valentines are
sent out with sentimental verses and children exchange valentine
cards at school.
The History of Saint Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient
Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honor Juno. Juno was the Queen
of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the
Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th,
began the Feast of Lupercalia.
The lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate. However,
one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the eve
of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written
on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a
girl's name from the jar and would then be partners for the
duration of the festival with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the
pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they
would fall in love and would later marry.
Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II, Rome was involved in many
bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a
difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He
believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave
their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all
marriages and engagements in Rome. The good Saint Valentine was a
priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius
aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for
this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before
the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with
clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the
14th day of February, about the year 270. At that time it was the
custom in Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed, to celebrate in the
month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honor of a heathen god.
On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names
of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by
the men as chance directed.
The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome endeavored to do
away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the
names of saints for those of maidens. And as the Lupercalia began
about the middle of February, the pastors appear to have chosen
Saint Valentine's Day for the celebration of this new feast. So it
seems that the custom of young men choosing maidens for valentines,
or saints as patrons for the coming year, arose in this way.
I know this is abit
late coz valentine's over ... But it will come again .. Impress or
irritate ur gals with ur knowledge .. Haha ...
