The origin of Valentines Day

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Jisso_Kim

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4 years ago

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Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the
Feast of Saint Valentine , is an annual holiday
celebrated on February 14. It originated as a Western
Christian liturgical feast day honoring one or more early
saints named Valentinus , and is recognized as a
significant cultural and commercial celebration in many
regions around the world, although it is not a public
holiday in any country.
Several martyrdom stories associated with the various
Valentines that were connected to February 14 were
added to later martyrologies , including a popular
hagiographical account of Saint Valentine of Rome which
indicated he was imprisoned for performing weddings for
soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering
to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman
Empire . According to legend , during his imprisonment,
Saint Valentine healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius, and before his execution, he wrote her a letter signed
"Your Valentine" as a farewell.
The day first became associated with romantic love
within the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century,
when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In 18th-
century England, it evolved into an occasion in which
lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting
flowers, offering confectionery , and sending greeting
cards (known as " valentines "). In Europe, Saint
Valentine's Keys are given to lovers "as a romantic
symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver’s heart", as
well as to children, in order to ward off epilepsy (called
Saint Valentine's Malady). Valentine's Day symbols
that are used today include the heart-shaped outline,
doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th
century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-
produced greeting cards.
Saint Valentine's Day is an official feast day in the
Anglican Communion , as well as in the Lutheran
Church . Many parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church
also celebrate Saint Valentine's Day, albeit on July 6 and
July 30 , the former date in honor of the Roman presbyter
Saint Valentine, and the latter date in honor of
Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern
Terni ).