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more than one account
Valentine’s many histories
Ah, geez. It’s that time of year again. In response to my dying anticipation, Valentine’s Day has
finally arrived! Its time to feel the despair I crave when that cute, brown eyed girl from the fourth row
passes me by with her bag full of Flintstone cards. Shoot, her loss, know what I mean?
Well, for most people, Valentine’s Day is an occasion to spread love and friendship. Sometimes it’s
a day to loathe cynically, gorging on chocolates so conveniently available. My ill tactics of slipping a cutie
an Incredible Hulk Valentine card won’t get me much applause nowadays, so I divert such causes with
an statement of my love through other means and to a more loving people, such as talking teddy bears for
my little niece.
Whether Valentine’s Day to you connotes paper cut out hearts, Hershey’s chocolates, or a
romantic love or a familial love, it is true for almost all people, this special day is worthy of celebration and
gift giving. But, let us ponder for a tid bit, and ask: “Who is this Valentine guy?”
Saint Valentine is quite the enigmatic character. However, he did actually exist, and he is an
officially designated saint. Interestingly, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints
named Valentine or Valentinus. There are different stories that reveal the life of the one Saint Valentine
we are concerned with, and there are different legends behind the meaning of Valentine’s Day. We’re
just going to look at a few.
Saint Valentine lived in the 3rd Century, during Emperor Claudius II’s reign over the Roman
Empire. This was a time when the empire was under perpetual military campaigns. “Claudius the Cruel”
was a nit picky ruler, so he preferred single men in his armies (fruity? No. But then again this was the
Roman Empire). Men who longed for their lovers back home were not as mission ready as single men.
Chuck it up, right?
Anyways, Claudius the Cruel outlawed the marriage of young men, so that he would have them all
for himself. The priest Valentine saw the injustice in the emperor’s law, and secretly continued to perform
marriages for those who were in love. Upon finding out Valentine’s defiance, Claudius put him in jail.
Ultimately Valentine was beheaded. Saint Valentine died on February 14th, 270.
In many accounts, Valentine, being that loving priest he was, had fallen in love with his jailer’s
daughter (say what?), who would visit him in his confinement. Before his execution, it is believed that he
wrote the young girl a note, ending it with “From Your Valentine,” the same words we use today.
In another contrasting account, Saint Valentine was put to death because of his kindness to fellow
early Christians. The harsh Roman prisons often tortured and beat the confined Christians. Valentine was
caught attempting to help these prisoners escape.
Concerning the actual celebration of Valentine’s Day, Pope Gelasius in 496 is attributed to officially
declaring February 14th as Valentine’s Day. Pope Gelasius was attempting to avert the February 15th
pagan celebration of the Lupercian festival. In a lottery, boys would pick the names of maidens from a
box. The resulting couples would be partners during the Lupercian festival. Oftentimes the couple would
eventually get married.
The pagan festival celebrated fertility and sensual pleasure (naughty, naughty). Therefore the Pope
saw the need to replace it with a celebration of purified love-- a love personified in Saint Valentine.
It is evident today how far the celebration has gone. Valentine’s Day could be seen as a prime
market moment for the chocolate and floral industry, but perhaps now that we understand that purified
love is about sacrifice, we could see past the paper hearts and appreciate the hearts of our loved ones.
Thanks Saint Valentine.
Mark Villegas
YFC-Jacksonville, Florida
Further Reading: History Channel
Bright.net
Inreach.com
Pastrywiz.com
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