Valentines Day In The Past and Present

On February 14th it is Valentines Day once again. We celebrate this special day with so many others from around the world. Have you ever wondered where this special holiday cam from? I am going to help you with this question. The story of Valentines Day began during the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire held a festival every February. The new Emperor Claudius changed all of this when he took the throne. He feared men would not want to leave their wives and fight at war, so he outlawed marriages. No marriages meant no wives to leave behind, so the men could go and fight freely. People still fell in love anyway and wanted to be married. They went to the Catholic Bishop Valentine. Valentine believed in love and marriage and secretly married all the couples. When The Emperor heard of this betrayal by Valentine, he was fighting mad. He ordered Valentine jailed and put to death by beheading him. While in jail Valentine fell in love with his jailers daughter. They would secretly pass notes and letters between them. The day Valentine was beheaded he wrote one last note and signed it from your Valentine.

In 496 A.D. Christianity had took over Rome and the pagen Lupercian Festival was done away with. The Pope Gelasius looked to replace it with something more fitting, and he set aside a day in February to honor the martyr Saint Valentine. In 1969 the church moved to away with Saint Valentines Day on it's calendar. Valentines Day is better known for it's traditional card sending and giving. The Tradition is believed to have began when Valentine and the jailers daghter began exchanging notes and letters, while he was in jail. Other origins also exist for Valentines Day. Children used to sent notes to Valentine when he was in jail. After the death of Valentine , children still left notes in his cell. Other stories stem from London. by a French Count who was captured. However it started, one thing is for sure it is widely celebrated today from around the world.

Over 1 billion people send and receive cards every year on Valentines Day. Valentines Day is the second largest holiday of the year, where so many cards are exchanged. Valentines Day symbols are all over in the first few weeks of February. Red Roses are another symbol of Valentines day. They are seen and sold almost everywhere on Valentines Day. The Red Rose was sacred to the Goddess of Love Venus. Cupid was the son of Venus. It was once believed that the symbol of a Heart, was the symbol of all emotion. When a Heart was given that was the strongest emotion of all. Cupid was the God the symbol of Love.

There are so many other customs of giving on Valentines Day. Both past and present. They are hearts, candy, cards, flowers, and kisses. Doves and Love Birds are said to mate for life and they choose their mates in February. Many people get married, remarried and engaged on Valentines Day It is a great way not to forget your anniversary.

However you decide to spend it. Enjoy Your Valentines DAY.

By Rhonda G. Waits 1/12/11