February 14 is typically a celebration day for those in love, or those searching for love. Those not in a relationship often find that as a good day to join the ranks of couples out there and find the significant other they have been looking for. Then there are those that have sworn off Valentine’s day for good.
Here is a little history on the St. Valentine’s Day Tradition and what it means to us as Christians. The Date in history was set back in Roman time. It was their belief that this was the time in which birds started to mate. As such it was a good idea for us to join them in celebrating nature’s gifts. This was a time for exchanging notes, gifts and yes even candy. This day was called Lupercalia. Among other traditions on that day was the lottery. Adults pulled a name of a member of the opposite sex and they were paired until the next year when they pulled another name.
As years dragged on, tradition evolved. Christians did like the lottery idea, but preferred a more monogamous pull. They changed the tradition to pull saints names from the lottery and they were to then emulate the life or examples set by that saint for the remainder of the year.
Today we celebrate it as a way of showing affection towards our loved ones. We give gifts, candy, and flowers. It is also customary to go out of the way to be nice to that special person.
This answers the history question, but why is it called St. Valentine’s Day and who is St. Valentine? If you look in the Catholic Encyclopedia, it shows there being 3 different early Christians by the name of Valentine, and if you look closer you will also find that they were all martyred on Feb 14.
Speculation goes many different directions as to which one the holiday was named for. One of the Valentines was a priest who performed marriages in secret to avoid the wrath of Emperor Claudius II. The Emperor forbade his soldiers to marry so that they had no family ties when they went off to war. This Valentine was caught and martyred on February 14.
Another Valentine was a Christian who was put in jail for his faith in God. Before he was executed, it is reported that he cured his jailer’s daughter of blindness. The day before his execution (on Feb 14) he wrote a letter to the jailer’s daughter and signed it “From your Valentine.”
In 1969, the Catholic Church revised its liturgical calendar, removing the feast days of saints whose historical origins were questionable. St. Valentine was one of the casualties. This is why looking at a church calendar it does not say anything about St. Valentine’s Day.
This long tradition has Valentine coined for a lover, a marriage advocate and a martyr. Maybe the next time someone asks if you would be their Valentine, it might be a good idea to ask for clarification. Good Luck this Valentine's Day, whatever story you follow. To my Sweetheart, I Love You!
