Valentines Day History
There are varying opinions as to the origin of Valentine's Day. Some
experts state that it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman who was
martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on February 14th,
269 A.D., the same day that had been devoted to love lotteries. Legend
also says that St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter,
who had become his friend, and signed it "From Your Valentine".
Other aspects of the story say that Saint Valentine served as a priest
at the temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius then had
Valentine jailed for defying him. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside
February 14th to honor St. Valentine.
Gradually, February 14th became the date for exchanging
love messages and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. The
date was marked
by sending poems and simple gifts such as flowers. There was often a
social gathering or a ball.
In the United States, Miss Esther Howland is given credit for sending
the first valentine cards. Commercial valentines were introduced in the
1800's and now the date is very commercialised. The town of Loveland,
Colorado, does a large post office business around February 14th.
The spirit of good continues as valentines are sent out with sentimental
verses
and children exchange valentine cards at school.
The History of Saint Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome,
February 14th was a holiday to honor Juno. Juno was the Queen of the
Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the Goddess of
women and marriage. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast
of Lupercalia.
The lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate. However,
one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the eve
of the
festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips
of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl's name
from the jar and would then be partners for the duration of the festival
with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children
lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would
later marry.
Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody
and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult
time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that
the reason
was that roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As
a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome.
The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius
II.
He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married
couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and
dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten
to death with
clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th
day of February, about the year 270. At that time it was the custom
in Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed, to celebrate in the month
of February
the Lupercalia, feasts in honor of a heathen god. On these occasions,
amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were
placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance
directed.
The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome endeavored to do
away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the names
of saints
for those of maidens. And as the Lupercalia began about the middle
of February, the pastors appear to have chosen Saint Valentine's
Day for
the celebration of this new feast. So it seems that the custom of young
men choosing maidens for valentines, or saints as patrons for the coming
year, arose in this way.
St.
Valentine's Story
Let me introduce myself. My name is Valentine. I lived in Rome during
the third century. That was long, long ago! At that time, Rome was ruled
by an emperor named Claudius. I didn't like Emperor Claudius, and I wasn't
the only one! A lot of people shared my feelings.
Claudius wanted to have a big army. He expected men to volunteer to
join. Many men just did not want to fight in wars. They did not want
to leave their wives and families. As you might have guessed, not many
men signed up. This made Claudius furious. So what happened? He had a
crazy idea. He thought that if men were not married, they would not mind
joining the army. So Claudius decided not to allow any more marriages.
Young people thought his new law was cruel. I thought it was preposterous!
I certainly wasn't going to support that law!
Did I mention that I was a priest? One of my favorite activities was
to marry couples. Even after Emperor Claudius passed his law, I kept
on performing marriage ceremonies — secretly, of course. It was
really quite exciting. Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride
and groom and myself. We would whisper the words of the ceremony, listening
all the while for the steps of soldiers.
One night, we did hear footsteps. It was scary! Thank goodness the
couple I was marrying escaped in time. I was caught. (Not quite as light
on my feet as I used to be, I guess.) I was thrown in jail and told that
my punishment was death.
I tried to stay cheerful. And do you know what? Wonderful things happened.
Many young people came to the jail to visit me. They threw flowers and
notes up to my window. They wanted me to know that they, too, believed
in love.
One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her
father allowed her to visit me in the cell. Sometimes we would sit and
talk for hours. She helped me to keep my spirits up. She agreed that
I did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and going ahead with the
secret marriages. On the day I was to die, I left my friend a little
note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. I signed it, "Love
from your Valentine."
I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on
Valentine's Day. It was written on the day I died, February 14th, 269
A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. But most importantly,
they think about love and friendship. And when they think of Emperor
Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and
they laugh — because they know that love can't be beaten!
Valentine
Traditions
Hundreds of years ago in England, many children dressed up as adults
on Valentine's Day. They went singing from home to home. One verse they
sang was:
Good morning to you, valentine;
Curl your locks as I do mine —
Two before and three behind.
Good morning to you, valentine.
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In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February
14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favorite decorations on the spoons.
The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!"
In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see
who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves
for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is
easy for other people to know how you are feeling.
In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from
a young man. If she keeps the gift, it means she will marry him.
Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead
on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow,
she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch,
she would marry a millionaire.
A love seat is a wide chair. It was first made to seat one woman and
her wide dress. Later, the love seat or courting seat had two sections,
often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sit together — but
not too closely!
Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you
twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off.
You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell
off.
Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow
the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That
is the number of children you will have.
If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you
will also know how many children you will have.
The Heart History
There are a few ancient symbols that recur through the ages. One of these symbols — the heart — means many things to many people. Just how did the stylized heart shape become the icon for love and the human soul? Let's work our way back in history:
The heart symbol as we know it today, was popularized in the Victorian era over a hundred years ago. They loved the romantic heart shape and embellished it in many ways; but they didn't invent it. Where did it come from?
Inspired Vision
The Catholic church claims that the symbol of the heart (Sacred Heart) began when Saint Margaret Marie Alacoque had a vision in the late 17th century. She saw a heart shape surrounded by a crown of thorns.
There is evidence that it is still older. Centuries earlier than Saint Alacoque, the heart symbol was incorporated in a number of stained glass windows and cloister decorations. Basically, the heart symbol, in Christian iconography was a stand in for the soul of Jesus. The Centurion who pierced Jesus' heart at the crucifixion with a lance was the first reference to the sacred heart in the scriptures - John 19:34
Egyptian Myth
Getting closer to the source, the Egyptian ab, or "heart soul", apparently bears a remarkable resemblance to the stained glass Christian iconographs. The story of the ab was that one of the Egyptian's seven souls came directly from the mother's heart, in the form of holy lunar blood and would descend to the womb and take the shape of her child.
Ancient African Origins
The most intriguing explanation for the heart symbol is linked to erotic love - and lies within the ruins of a classical city in North Africa. In the 7th century BC, in the city-state of Cyrene, there was a valuable plant called Silphium. The commercial trade of this now extinct species of fennel made Cyrene one of the richest cities in Africa until the founding of Alexandria. We are only now coming to understand why the Silphium plant was so highly valued that it was harvested to extinction.
Silphium grew only in the small, upland, ecological zones surrounding the city of Cyrene in North Africa. Trade based on this now extinct species of Giant Fennel was of great commercial importance to Cyrene. Just what was so special about this plant?
"Cultural bias and societal hubris have long clouded the vision of scholars, rendering most unwilling to even consider - never mind acknowledge - that ancient cultures possessed the means and the knowledge to do what until very recently was beyond the capabilities of "modern" medicine. As a result, for centuries scholars dismissed ancient accounts of certain plants that provided an effective means of birth control."
"Silphium has left its mark in modern society in a way that has not previously been recognized. Have you ever wondered why the human heart - the repository and the embodiment of romantic love - is always drawn stylized instead of in the natural shape of the human heart organ? The answer is rooted in the ancient function of Silphium! And the connection between this artistic convention and Silphium is found in the coinage of Cyrene, which features a seed pod of the revered plant." 1
1. Emilio N Favority and Kurt Baty. The Celator, Vol 9, No.2
Word "LOVE" in many different languages
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