Valentine's Day occurs on February 14. Across the United States and in other parts of the world, sweets, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of Saint Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and where do these traditions come from? Learn about the history of Valentine's Day, from the ancient Roman ritual of Lupercalia welcoming spring to the Victorian English custom of card-giving.
The Legend of Saint Valentine
 |
| Saint Valentine, who according to some sources is actually two distinct historical characters who were said to have healed a child while imprisoned and executed by decapitation. |
The history of Valentine's Day — and the story of Valentine's patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. We know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance and that Saint Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both ancient Roman and Christian traditions. But who is Saint Valentine, and how is he related to this ancient ritual?
 |
|
The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyrs. One legend holds that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he forbade marriage to young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform the marriage of the young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered his execution. Others still assert that it was Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop, as the holiday's real name. He was also beheaded by Claudius II outside of Rome.
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed trying to help Christians escape the harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually delivered his first "valentine" greeting after he fell in love with a young girl - possibly the jailer's daughter - who visited him during his time in prison. while he was incarcerated. Before his death, he is believed to have written her a signed letter "From your Valentine", an expression still in use today. While the truth behind the legends about Valentine is unclear, all of the stories emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and - most importantly - romantic character. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine had become one of the most beloved saints in England and France.The Origin of Valentine's Day: Pagan Festival in February
While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in mid-February to commemorate the death or burial of Valentine's Day — possibly around AD 270 — others argue that The Catholic church may have decided to place Saint Valentine's Day in mid-February in an attempt to "Christianize" the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Held on February 15, Lupercalia is a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.
 |
|
To kick off the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, will gather in a sacred cave where the newborn babies Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, are held. is said to have been cared for by a wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat for breeding, and a dog for purification. They would then skin the goats into strips, dip them in the sacrificial blood and carry them out onto the streets, gently slapping all the women and goatskin crops. Fearless, Roman women welcomed raw skin touching as it was said to make it easier for them to conceive in the coming year. At the end of the day, according to legend, all the maidens in the city would put their names in a large vase. Each bachelor of the city will choose a name and pair up for the year with the woman of his choice. These matches often end in marriage.Visit Store: https://hipmodes.com/
Comments
Post a Comment