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So
when did the Valentine's
Day frenzy begin? The
history of Valentine's
Day -- and its patron
saint -- is shrouded in
mystery. As is true of
much of history,
scholars tell slightly
different versions of
the history of this
popular holiday. But we
do know that February
has long been a month of
romance. St. Valentine's
Day, as we know it
today, contains vestiges
of both Christian and
ancient Roman tradition.
According to University
of Notre Dame Professor
Lawrence Cunningham,
scholars have two main
theories to explain how
February 14 became
synonymous with romance:
-
Roman Feast
of Lupercalia -
This ancient pagan
fertility
celebration, which
honored Juno, queen
of the Roman gods
and goddesses and
goddess of women and
marriage, was held
on February 14, the
day before the feast
began. During
festival time, women
would write love
letters, also known
as billets, and
leave them in a
large urn. The men
of Rome would then
draw a note from the
urn and ardently
pursue the woman who
wrote the message
they had chosen.
(Apparently, the
custom of lottery
drawings to select
valentines continued
into the 18th
century, coming to
an end when people
decided they'd
rather choose --
sight seen! -- their
valentines.)
-
The Birds and
the Bees. - In
the Middle Ages,
people began to send
love letters
on Valentine's Day.
Medieval Europeans
believed that birds
began to mate on
February 14.
As
well this main theories
have number of
legends about who is
this mysterious saint
and why do we celebrate
this holiday?
-
While some
believe that
Valentine's Day is
celebrated in the
middle of February
to commemorate the
anniversary of
Valentine's death or
burial -- which
probably occurred
around 270 A.D --
others claim that
the Christian church
may have decided to
celebrate
Valentine's feast
day in the middle of
February in an
effort to 'christianize'
celebrations of the
pagan
Lupercalia festival.
-
Other say Pope
Gelasius declared
February 14 St.
Valentine's Day
around 498 A.D. The
Roman 'lottery'
system for romantic
pairing was deemed
un-Christian and
outlawed. Later,
during the Middle
Ages, it was
commonly believed in
France and England
that February 14 was
the beginning of
birds' mating
season, which added
to the idea that the
middle of February
-- Valentine's Day
-- should be a day
for romance.
-
The oldest known
valentine still in
existence today was
a poem written by
Charles, Duke of
Orleans to his wife
while he was
imprisoned in the
Tower of London
following his
capture at the
Battle of Agincourt.
The greeting, which
was written in 1415,
is part of the
manuscript
collection of the
British Library in
London, England.
Several years later,
it is believed that
King Henry V hired a
writer named John
Lydgate to compose a
valentine note to
Catherine of Valois.
There's also some
controversy regarding
Saint Valentine
,for whom the famous day
is named.
Archaeologists, who
unearthed a Roman
catacomb and an ancient
church dedicated to St.
Valentine, are not sure
if there was one
Valentine or more.
Today, the Catholic
Church recognizes at
least three different
saints named Valentine
or Valentinus, all of
whom were martyred on
February 14 -- at least
two of those in Italy
during the 3rd century.
The most popular
candidate for St.
Valentine was a 3rd
century Roman priest who
practiced Christianity
and performed secret
marriages against direct
orders from Emperor
Claudius II, who
believed single soldiers
were more likely to join
his army. Legend
has it that Valentine
sent a friend (the
jailer's daughter) a
note signed "From Your
Valentine" before he was
executed on February 14
in 270 A.D. (That phrase
is still used
prominently on today's
cards!)
Early
Christians were happier
with the idea of a
holiday honoring the
saint of romantic causes
than with one
recognizing a pagan
festival. In 496 A.D.,
Pope Gelasius
named February 14 in
honor of St. Valentine
as the patron saint of
lovers. In 1969, Pope
Paul VI dropped it from
the calendar. However,
the blend of Roman
festival and Christian
martyrdom had caught on,
and Valentine's Day was
here to stay.
So,
who was
Saint
Valentine and
how did he become
associated with this
ancient rite? As for
Today, I find at least
Seven different
legends about saints
named Valentine or
Valentinus,
all
of whom were martyred. |
