Valentines As for the name of Valentine’s Day, we don’t really have an answer for that either, and it’s just as murky with just how many Christian martyrs there are who are named Valentine. One legend states that St. Valentine defied Emperor Claudius II Gothica’s orders that no Roman soldier could marry. Valentine married couples in secret. Another legend suggests that Valentine had befriended his jailer’s daughter and even cured her of blindness. Valentines, as we know, didn’t really come about until the 1500s when messages of love began to be exchanged, and the first commercially printed Valentine’s Day cards didn’t appear in the United States until the 1800s. Today, the holiday has become a day for kids to exchange candy and small Valentine cards (who else remembers being forced to sit down with the class directory and write out a Valentine to every kid - even the ones you didn’t like?), while the adults exchange candy, roses, and jewelry. When it comes to the history of Valentine’s Day - it’s pretty murky at best. Some suggest that the holiday itself has its origins in Lupercalia, a Roman festival that celebrated the coming of spring and fertility rites and was held in mid-February. It’s been suggested that the holiday replaced the festival when it was forbidden in the 5th century by Pope Gelasius I. Icon of St. Valentine of Rome, uncutmountainsupply.com A Valentine’s card, c. 1909 wikipedia.org
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzU4OQ==