It is that time of year again when
chocolates,
flowers and
presents are exchanged by lovers everywhere, in the name of St.
Valentine . So who was this saint and why do we celebrate in this way? There have been three saints called Valentine or Valentinus within the Catholic
church, each one having been martyred.
A legend cites that Valentine was a priest in third century
Rome . When Emperor Claudius II came to the decision that single men made better soldiers than married ones, he banned young men from marrying. Valentine, defied this decree and continued to perform
marriages for young people secretly. Upon Claudius discovering Valentine's actions, he was put to death.
Another stories purports that Valentine may have been put to death for trying to help Christians escape their fate of torture and hardship in Roman prisons.
A further legend mentions that Valentine sent himself the first
valentine greeting . When he was in prison, it is said Valentine fell in love with a young lady who could have been his jailor's daughter. She is said to have visited him whilst he was confined. Prior to his death, it is believed that he wrote her a letter, signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression which is very much used to this day.
It is said that Valentine was romantic, brave and sympathetic figure. He was an incredibly popular saint by the Middle Ages in England and France.
Some people consider that
Valentines Day is celebrated in mid-February to commemorate the
anniversary of Valentine's death which is most likely to have occurred circa 270 A.D. Others claim that the Christian church may have opted to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in order to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February marked the start of spring and was considered a time for purification.
