From the ArcaMax Publishing, Features Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/features/s-41692-644617
February 14th, the holiday of Love! Every February, across the
country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones,
all in the name of St. Valentine. Who is this mysterious saint and why
do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day -- and
its patron saint -- is shrouded in mystery. St. Valentine's Day, as we
know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman
tradition. The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different
saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred - none
of whom were associated with roses or chocolate.
Most scholars believe that the St. Valentine of the holiday was a
priest who served during the third century in Rome. During this time,
around 270 A.D., emperor Claudius II prohibited marriages for young
men, claiming that bachelors made better soldiers. Valentine continued
to secretly perform marriage ceremonies but was eventually apprehended
by the Romans and ordered by Claudius to be put to death. But his
courageous blessing of the bonds of love may have earned him a notable
place in history.
Another legend has it that Valentine, imprisoned by Claudius, fell in
love with the jailer's daughter, who visited him during confinement.
Before he was executed, he allegedly sent her a letter signed "from
your Valentine," an expression that is still used today. We could say
this marked the very first Valentine's Day.
Possibly the most plausible story surrounding St. Valentine and his
day is one not focused on Eros (passionate love), but on agape
(Christian love): he was martyred for refusing to renounce his
religion. Subsequently, his love for his God may have gone down in
history.
Our final possiblity for the origins our our holiday: it could be that
we celebrate Valentine's Day on the 14th because this is the day that
St. Valentine died. However, some believe that the celebration of
Valentine's Day was an attempt by the Church to civilize the
celebration of the pagan Lupercalia festival -- held on the 15th of
February. Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the
Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and
Remus. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around
498 A.D. The Lupercalia festival was deemed un-Christian and outlawed.
Valentine's Greetings
The oldest known Valentine gift still in existence today was a poem
written by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was
imprisoned in the Tower of London. The greeting, written in 1415, is
part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London,
England. According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one
billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the
second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6
billion cards are sent for Christmas.) The first commercial
Valentine's Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in
the 1840s by Esther A. Howland. Howland, known as the Mother of the
Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and
colorful pictures known as "scrap."
And Who is this Cupid?
Another Valentine icon you may be wondering about is Cupid (from Latin
cupido, "desire"). In Roman mythology Cupid is the son of
Venus, goddess of love. His counterpart in Greek mythology is Eros,
god of love. Cupid is often said to be a mischievous boy who goes
around wounding both gods and humans with his arrows, causing them to
fall in love. The Romans believed white roses grew where the tears of
Venus fell, as she mourned the loss of her beloved Adonis. Her son
Cupid, while being stung by a bee, shot arrows in the rose garden; the
sting of the arrows became thorns. Venus pricked her foot on a thorn,
and the droplets of blood dyed the roses red.
Sending Roses on Valentine's Day
Why should you send roses to your loved one this Valentine's Day? The
rose is the symbol of love, of magic, of hope, and of passion ...
perfect to let your loved one know how you feel about him/her! The
rose represents ultimate beauty and perfection. It is the messenger of
Romance!
A dozen red roses remains the classic Valentine's Day favorite (okay,
it's a toss-up between roses and chocolate -- but we all know why
chocolate is popular). However, many women report that they adore
roses in other colors just as much. There are hundreds of colors to
choose from. The choices are endless, and it's easier than ever to
select a rose that is as unique as your sweetheart.
Whatever your Valentine's gift to give or receive, have fun this
holiday of love -- may this little bit of history add to your
enjoyment!