Αnd Why He Is a Symbol of Love
Every year on February 14, people around the world celebrate Valentine’s Day. It is a day of love, gifts, and romance. But do you know the story of St. Valentine? He was a real person, and his story is full of mystery, faith, and love.
Who Was St. Valentine?
St. Valentine was a Christian priest who lived in Rome during the 3rd century. At that time, the Roman Emperor Claudius II ruled the land. He believed that single men made better soldiers than married men. So, he banned marriages for young men.
Valentine did not agree with this law. He believed that love and marriage were important. So, he secretly performed weddings for young couples. When the emperor found out, he was angry and sent Valentine to prison.
The Legend of Valentine and Love
There is a famous story about Valentine while he was in prison. He befriended the jailer’s daughter, who was blind. Some say that he miraculously healed her sight. Before he was executed, he sent her a letter signed “From your Valentine.“ This phrase is still used today in Valentine’s Day cards.
On February 14, 269 AD, Valentine was killed for his beliefs. The legacy of St Valentine has survived long after his death. There was such an uproar over his execution among the Christian community in Rome, that the authorities had to bury his body quickly to avoid a riot. But three of his followers found his body and took him to Terni in Umbria, where he is perfectly embalmed in the Basilico de S Valentino. Later, the Catholic Church made him a saint. His story became a symbol of love, sacrifice, and kindness.
The truth behind Holy Lies
The earliest version of the story dates back to ancient Rome and the pagan festival of Lupercalia. Shepherds outside the city walls waged a constant battle against hungry wolves and prayed to the god Lupercus to watch over their flocks. Every year in February, the Romans would repay the god’s vigilance with a festival, which doubled as a celebration of fertility and the onset of Spring. Newlywed women would be whipped by februa (strips of goat skin and the derivation of our word February) to purify their bodies in preparation for childbirth.
One of the highlights of Lupercalia came on February 14 with an erotic tribute to Juno Februata, the goddess of feverish love (the equivalent of Cilla Black). The names of maidens were drawn at random by young men and the resultant couple would become partners at the feast and even for life.
The festival was extremely popular and lasted for centuries. After Constantine had christianised Rome, the Church tried to clamp down on pagan activities and Lupercalia, with its lurid temptations, was an obvious target. Pope Galasius, in the 5th Century, needed to find a suitable replacement for the wolf god Lupercus and chose a bishop who had been martyred 200 years previously: Valentine.
Why Do People Celebrate Valentine’s Day?
Over time, St. Valentine became linked with romantic love. During the Middle Ages, people in England and France believed that birds began to find their mates in mid-February. This idea helped connect the day to romance.
By the 1400s, people started writing love letters to each other on Valentine’s Day. The tradition grew, and today, people exchange cards, flowers, and gifts with their loved ones.
Today, Valentine’s Day is one of the biggest celebrations in the world. People express their love and appreciation and some also take this day to celebrate friendships and family. It is a day to show love and kindness to everyone special in our lives.
Nowadays, his memory has been hijacked by card sharks and florists, but the ancient tradition of proclaiming love on February 14 remains.
St. Valentine’s Shrines
You can find St. Valentine’s shrines around the world with most known the one located in the Basilica of San Valentino in Terni Italy and the one in Dublin. Complete with an altar and life-size statue of St Valentine, the shrine contains an alarmed casket enclosing a number of St Valentine’s bones and a vial of his blood.
An inscription on the casket, or reliquary, reads: “This shrine contains the sacred body of Saint Valentinus the Martyr, together with a small vessel tinged with his blood.”
Considering how little we know about Valentine himself, perhaps the only surprise should be that Saint Valentine’s Day is still celebrated across the world, centuries after his death. While the saint himself has been all but forgotten, his message of love remains.