It's not new that everyone has accepted February 14 as a day of love and romance, many in fact feel it's a national day set aside for couples and just sharing Love with your lover, well the name Valentine wasn't coined so love and romance could be celebrated, rather the name Valentine was an actual name, well it still is an actual name. It was the name of a priest that existed long ago and was beheaded, oh yes beheaded, but that doesn't mean you should mourn the day, rather it is worth celebrating, the remarkable action of Saint Valentine is indeed commendable and legendary.
Many believed the date February 14 is in line with an already existing pagan celebration, the romans call it Lupercalia, the celebration was dedicated to their founding fathers Romulus and Remus as well as their god of agriculture Faunus, the priest would assemble at the cave the founding fathers Romulus and Remus were recorded to be sheltered by a She wolf or Lupa in their language, guess that's why the celebration was called Lupercalia.
So on that set day recorded to be February 15 not 14, the priest would sacrifice a goat and a dog, the goat to signify fertility and the dog purify. Then deep the goats body in blood and sprinkle on ladies as a way to profess fertility and purification. This was very much appreciated, especially because later that day the single ladies would submit their names on a big bowl and the single bachelor's would make a pick, and it as mostly led to a lasting marriage.
Then where is Valentine in all this, Saint Valentine happens to be a priest under the reign of king Claudias the second, the king being at war at that time needed as much men he could get to fight for him, and the married men had a free pass to skip the battle and this was bad for the king who in turn made a decreed law prohibiting people from getting married so he could have many single men at his disposal to fight.
Our beloved saint Valentine, being a priest saw how unjust the kings ruling is and went against his emperor's commands, by secretly marrying people off, eventually he was caught and arrested, and afterwards sited as an example by being killed on February 14th, but before his death he has fall in love with his jailers daughter.
Well some records have it that the jailer's daughter was blind, and in Saint Valentine's quest to convert his jail keeper to his faith, he was to prove his God could save and is powerful so he asked that his daughter be healed, of which saint Valentine did, he healed the daughter, and she regained her sight. Other records was that he had fall in love with the jailer's daughter, and was known to present a letter on the day of his death to her, with the closing phrase "Your Valentine". This has made up of what the world celebrates today.
So in order to Christianize the pagan practice of Lupercalia, the pope had to bring in a more prominent event to keep them occupied with doing the right thing. The actions of saint Valentine is clearly a show of love and selflessness, finding a way to keep people getting married and happy amidst his life being at stake. He is truly an epistle worth celebrating, Valentine is more of what you can do for someone, rather than what you are expecting. The man behind the Valentine's day celebrations did good deeds, you too should.
Hope you enjoyed the history of a day highly anticipated by people for many different, funny and romantic reasons, spread the love today and always guys. Happy Valentine. Please do like, comment and subscribe. Let Love Lead.
