This morning I determined to check out where this idea of Valentines Day came from. With a little quick research let me share with you what I found. Isn’t Google amazing? Sometime you just have to do some fun stuff.

In 496 Pope Gelasius declared February 14 a feast day honoring a Roman martyr St. Valentine. Amazingly, there are three Christian saints bearing the name Valentine. More surprisingly all three are purported to have been martyred on February 14^th. Go figure!

Merging these legendary figures together develops this story. The Roman emperor Claudius outlawed marriage for young men because he believed single men made better soldiers. Valentine defied the decree by secretly marrying young couples.

Of course, his defiance was discovered and he was arrested and sentenced to death. Gosh, it didn’t take much to get the death penalty back then!

While awaiting his fate Valentine fell in love with the jailors daughter. Prior to his fateful day wrote a letter to his admirer with the salutation “From Your Valentine” Ah yes, the first valentine card.

Now as it often the case, early Christian holidays or feast days were established to counteract pagan holidays. The Romans celebrated a fertility festival, called Lupercalia on February 15^th. This festival honored the Roman god, Faunus the god of agriculture, and the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus.

One of the reported practices during Lupercalia was that the young women would place their names is a large urn from which the bachelors of the day would draw out a name. This would match the enchanted couple for the next year. An early version of eharmony.com I guess!

During the 1700’s hand made cards and gift giving became a common practice on Valentines Day. One of the earliest cards, still in existence was written in 1415 by the Duke of Orleans to his wife, while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. What’s up with the linkage of being in jail and Valentines Day? That’s one to think on!

Commercial Valentines Day cards came into being in the 1840’s, credited to Esther A. Howland. Did you know that 25% of all greeting cards purchased each year are done so on Valentines Day? Further, that 85% of Valentine Cards are purchased by women? No surprise with that, right?

So there you have it. A quick history lesson on what the day, February 14, Valentines Day is all about. Go out and impress someone with your new found knowledge.

Next month will mark 30 years of marriage to my Valentine. No question I have received much more than I have deserved. My Valentine is one of the hardest working people I know. She is a great mother to our children; Jamison, Natalie and Allison. She has always been there for all of us.

Happy Valentines Day, Sarah! From your Valentine.

That’s the history I care about most!

May all of you have a nice Valentines Day with your loved ones!

Source material

http://www.history.com/content/valentine/history-of-valentine-s-day

http://www.theholidayspot.com/valentine/history_of_valentine.htm

Jay Williams

www.myhomeloanwithjay.com