The Rest Of The Story -Who Is St. Valentine?

Ever wonder exactly who St. Valentine is and how he became associated with this holiday for lovers?

The details when it comes to Saint Valentine are a bit unclear but according to some historians, he was a priest from Rome who lived in the third century AD.

According to stories handed down from century to century, Emperor Claudius II had banned marriage because he believed that married men made bad soldiers.

The priest called Valentine felt this notion was wrong and unfair and went about arranging marriages in secret. When the Emperor Claudius found out, Valentine was thrown in jail and sentenced to death.

While in prison, Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter. He was taken away to be killed on February 14 and as he went he sent her a love letter signed “from your Valentine”.

The culture of the time in Rome and through out the Roman
Empire was a pagan one. The Roman festival of Lupercalia, was a fertility celebration commemorated annually on February 15 and was a pagan festival. As part of the celebration, boys would draw the names of girls from a box, and would then be partnered with them during the festival, sometimes going on to marry each other.

Pope Gelasius I, as a Christian, was devoted to changing the culture and influencing people to move towards a Christian way of thinking and living. He changed this pagan festival into a Christian feast day around the year 496, deciding that February 14 would be a day to honor the martyred catholic priest Valentine, and declaring it to be Saint Valentine’s Day. Saint Valentine’s name has been used by people to express feelings of love ever since.

So now you know “the rest of the story”. We say what ever you are doing today and whomever you are with, celebrate love. That is actually a good idea everyday. But today especially we say Happy Valentine’s Day dear chums…we love you each and every one!