Why Celebrate Valentines Day Come From?

February 14th is known the world over as the day for Valentine's Day gifts, cards, and love in general. There are many legends surrounding what we know as St. Valentine's Day, bits and pieces derived from both Christian and Roman tales of struggle and faith. A Christian martyr named Valentine gave the day known for Valentine's Day gifts its name. While there were several early Christian saints by the name of Valentine during the time of the papal decree that honoured St. Valentine, three of which were believed martyred on February 14th, but one in particular stands out as the most likely choice for which the day was declared.

St. Valentine was a bishop who defied Roman law by marrying soldiers when Claudius II denied young men that privilege. Claudius II wanted these men for his army, not bound to home and family, but St. Valentine met with these young men and their intendeds in secret and performed marriage ceremonies to fulfil their love for each other. When Claudius II caught up with St. Valentine he was taken and put in jail where he met with the daughter of his jailer and fell in love. On the day he was to be executed he wrote a farewell note to his love and signed it 'from your Valentine' which has become the standard signature of love on cards and Valentines Day gifts from that time.

Many Christian holidays have roots in Roman and pagan festivals and Valentine's Day is no exception. February 14th coincided with the Roman festival of love where young Roman's declared their love for a woman they wished to pursue. On that day they would send written letters of love to that person which carried over to the Christian observance of Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day gift packages and cards vary from the handmade to the extravagant, and every year people spend several hundred pounds on everything from postage to Porsches to declare their love for that special someone in their lives. Children exchange notes from classmate to classmate, and husbands and wives remember the blessings of their love on this special day that started with a humble saint's desire to unite the souls of young men and women in love.

By: Louis Jones

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