| 14th February, Valentine's Day, is one of the | | | | in love with his jailor's daughter and began |
| most popular holidays. For centuries, people | | | | to send her written love letters signed "From |
| have celebrated Valentine's Day with much | | | | your valentine." And thus the saint's |
| enthusiasm. Traditionally, Valentine's Day | | | | birthday is said to be celebrated as |
| was celebrated as a Roman feast. Later it | | | | Valentine's Day, the day of celebration of |
| came to be associated with a Roman Catholic | | | | love. |
| feast day on February 14th to honor two Roman | | | | |
| martyrs, both by the name of St. Valentine. | | | | According to another legend, St. Valentine, a |
| | | | Roman priest who began to secretly marry |
| This holiday originally originated in ancient | | | | couples against the direct orders of Emperor |
| Rome. Romans of the ancient times celebrated | | | | Claudius II. Emperor Claudius was facing |
| a fertility festival of Lupercalis on | | | | difficulties recruiting soldiers for his |
| February 15th. The priests who conducted this | | | | military because the young men didn't want to |
| ritual were known as Luperci. The ritual | | | | leave their wives at home. To overcome this |
| began with a sacrifice of goats and a dog | | | | problem, he declared that both engagements |
| done by Lupercis. This was followed by two of | | | | and marriages were illegal. St. Valentine |
| the Lupercis were led to the alter where | | | | eventually was executed for his violation of |
| their foreheads were touched with the bloody | | | | Claudius' orders, and thus the holiday of |
| knife that was used for the sacrifices. And | | | | Lupercalia came to be acclaimed as a |
| then, the blood was wiped off with a piece of | | | | celebration of love and the celebration of |
| wool dipped in milk. This ritual was marked | | | | St. Valentine. |
| with a sacrificial feast. Following that, a | | | | |
| sacrificial feast took place. And at the end | | | | By the 15th Century, St. Valentines Day was |
| of the festival thongs were cut from the skin | | | | celebrated with lovers singing their romantic |
| of the sacrificed animals which were held by | | | | feelings to their beloveds. People often |
| noble youths who ran up and down through the | | | | wrote sonnets and other love poems to |
| city naked, for sport and laughter striking | | | | celebrate their love. These poems and sonnets |
| those they meet with shaggy thongs. Women and | | | | came to be popularly known as valentine |
| children purposely got in the way to shake | | | | messages or valentines. The oldest surviving |
| hands, believing that the pregnant will be | | | | valentine in history was written in 1415 from |
| bestowed by good luck, and the barren will be | | | | the Duke of Orleans to his beloved wife. It |
| bestowed with good luck. A blow from the | | | | was written while he was held prisoner in the |
| thong was believed to cure sterility in | | | | Tower of London. The message is on display in |
| women. Later, Pope Gelasius I (492-496) | | | | the British Museum in London. |
| abolished Lupercalia. | | | | |
| | | | While the exact origin of Valentine's Day is |
| There is many a folklore of how Valentine's | | | | not known exactly, there is no doubt that it |
| Day came to be a celebration of love. Some | | | | is not just a holiday from the modern times |
| stories talk of St. Valentine helping | | | | but has a history to it. It is a chance to |
| prisoners of harsh Roman prisons escape. He | | | | both honor the history and modernity of love |
| was imprisoned for the deed. According to a | | | | and affection. |
| legend, while in prison, St. Valentine fell | | | | |