| Valentines Day |
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Learn about how Valentines day came into practice as it is today. The origin of this
lovers day goes back to as early as 270 A.D from when the history of this day
begins. Just read on and discover the true meaning of this festival.
As early as the fourth century B.C., the Romans engaged in an annual young
man's rite to passage to the God Lupercus. The names of the teenage women
were placed in a box and drawn at random by adolescent men; thus, a man was
assigned a woman companion for the duration of the year, after which another
lottery was staged. After eight hundred years of this cruel practice, the early
church fathers sought to end this practice... They found an answer in Valentine, a
bishop who had been martyred some two hundred years earlier.
According to church tradition St. Valentine was a priest near Rome in about the
year 270 A.D. At that time the Roman Emperor Claudius-II who had issued an edict
forbidding marriage.
This was around when the heyday of Roman empire had almost come to an end.
Lack of quality administrators led to frequent civil strife. Learning declined, taxation
increased, and trade slumped to a low, precarious level. And the Gauls, Slavs,
Huns, Turks and Mongolians from Northern Europe and Asian increased their
pressure on the empire's boundaries. The empire was grown too large to be
shielded from external aggression and internal chaos with existing forces. Thus
more of capable men were required to be recruited as soldiers and officers. When
Claudius became the emperor, he felt that married men were more emotionally
attached to their families, and thus, will not make good soldiers. So to assure
quality soldiers, he banned marriage.
Valentine, a bishop , seeing the trauma of young lovers, met them in a secret
place, and joined them in the sacrament of matrimony. Claudius learned of this
"friend of lovers," and had him arrested. The emperor, impressed with the young
priest's dignity and conviction, attempted to convert him to the roman gods, to
save him from certain execution. Valentine refused to recognize Roman Gods and
even attempted to convert the emperor, knowing the consequences fully.
On February 24, 270, Valentine was executed.
"From your Valentine"
While Valentine was in prison awaiting his fate, he came in contact with his jailor,
Asterius. The jailor had a blind daughter. Asterius requested him to heal his
daughter. Through his faith he miraculously restored the sight of Asterius'
daughter. Just before his execution, he 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.
Valentine thus become a Patron Saint, and spiritual overseer of an annual festival.
The festival involved young Romans offering women they admired, and wished to
court, handwritten greetings of affection on February 14. The greeting cards
acquired St.Valentine's name.
The Valentine's Day card spread with Christianity, and is now celebrated all over
the world. One of the earliest card was sent in 1415 by Charles, duke of Orleans,
to his wife while he was a prisoner in the Tower of London. The card is now
preserved in the British Museum.
lovers day goes back to as early as 270 A.D from when the history of this day
begins. Just read on and discover the true meaning of this festival.
As early as the fourth century B.C., the Romans engaged in an annual young
man's rite to passage to the God Lupercus. The names of the teenage women
were placed in a box and drawn at random by adolescent men; thus, a man was
assigned a woman companion for the duration of the year, after which another
lottery was staged. After eight hundred years of this cruel practice, the early
church fathers sought to end this practice... They found an answer in Valentine, a
bishop who had been martyred some two hundred years earlier.
According to church tradition St. Valentine was a priest near Rome in about the
year 270 A.D. At that time the Roman Emperor Claudius-II who had issued an edict
forbidding marriage.
This was around when the heyday of Roman empire had almost come to an end.
Lack of quality administrators led to frequent civil strife. Learning declined, taxation
increased, and trade slumped to a low, precarious level. And the Gauls, Slavs,
Huns, Turks and Mongolians from Northern Europe and Asian increased their
pressure on the empire's boundaries. The empire was grown too large to be
shielded from external aggression and internal chaos with existing forces. Thus
more of capable men were required to be recruited as soldiers and officers. When
Claudius became the emperor, he felt that married men were more emotionally
attached to their families, and thus, will not make good soldiers. So to assure
quality soldiers, he banned marriage.
Valentine, a bishop , seeing the trauma of young lovers, met them in a secret
place, and joined them in the sacrament of matrimony. Claudius learned of this
"friend of lovers," and had him arrested. The emperor, impressed with the young
priest's dignity and conviction, attempted to convert him to the roman gods, to
save him from certain execution. Valentine refused to recognize Roman Gods and
even attempted to convert the emperor, knowing the consequences fully.
On February 24, 270, Valentine was executed.
"From your Valentine"
While Valentine was in prison awaiting his fate, he came in contact with his jailor,
Asterius. The jailor had a blind daughter. Asterius requested him to heal his
daughter. Through his faith he miraculously restored the sight of Asterius'
daughter. Just before his execution, he 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.
Valentine thus become a Patron Saint, and spiritual overseer of an annual festival.
The festival involved young Romans offering women they admired, and wished to
court, handwritten greetings of affection on February 14. The greeting cards
acquired St.Valentine's name.
The Valentine's Day card spread with Christianity, and is now celebrated all over
the world. One of the earliest card was sent in 1415 by Charles, duke of Orleans,
to his wife while he was a prisoner in the Tower of London. The card is now
preserved in the British Museum.
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| reference: The Holiday Spot |