Origin of Valentine's Day - Brief Background Information

Do you wish to learn about the origin of Valentine's Day?

Have you ever thought about how Valentine's Day came about? Most people have no idea how this holiday originated, but one thing is for sure: People love to celebrate love and life on Valentine's Day.

You can always tell when Valentine's Day is near, when you begin to see a lot of RED and HEARTS in the stores! Learn about the origin of Valentine's Day today and be sure to tell your family and friends all about it!

There are various stories as to how Valentine's Day began, but the one common theme around Valentine's Day is LOVE. One story about the origin of Valentine's Day states that there was a Roman priest back in 269 A.D whose name was Valentine. It seems that this priest was a man who believed in love and marriage! Valentine would perform a marriage ceremony for Christian couples, but the government of Rome did not like him doing this. The government ended up telling Valentine to stop.

Valentine felt true to his calling to perform weddings, so he continued to marry Christian couples secretly. He was eventually caught and thrown in prison. While Valentine was in prison, it has been said that he fell in love with the jailer's daughter. His followers sent him encouraging letters while he was in prison as well. Valentine was executed on February 14th, 269 A.D. It is said that he left a love letter to the jailer's daughter and signed it, "From your Valentine."

Valentine's story spread throughout Italy and Europe and, in 496 A.D., Valentine was named a "saint" and the day that he was martyred became an official Valentine's Day that is eagerly celebrated every year on February 14th.

This story of the origin of Valentine's Day has several different versions, with one being Catholic and one being Protestant. Both versions believe that Valentine was a priest who married couples openly and secretly, even though the Roman government didn't want him to.

The emperor of Rome, Claudius II, felt that married men were too involved with their families and would make less of a soldier, so he really didn't want men to get married. Valentine, on the other hand, felt that men ought to be able to get married if they wanted to, so he went ahead and performed many ceremonies. Many couples came to Valentine to have their marriage ceremony performed. I'm sure Valentine was thrilled to be able to help so many couples out!

Catholics and Protestants vary in their opinion concerning the jailer's daughter. Legend has it that she was blind and that Valentine had healing powers. The Catholics believe that Valentine did heal the jailer's daughter but the Protestants refute this.

Regardless of the facts behind the origin of Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day is a wonderful holiday and serves as a reminder to let those close to us in our lives know how very much we love them.

So, take some time this Valentine's Day to celebrate your loved ones with gifts, cards with terms of endearment, romantic dinners, a getaway, or various other tokens of appreciation. Remember - the SPIRIT behind Valentine's Day is far more important than the origin of Valentine's Day.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Read More: More on Valentine's Day History | Valentine's Day Facts and Info | Valentine's Day Quotes, Sayings and Verses | Valentine's Day Movies and Songs | Other Valentine's Day Ideas to Celebrate Romantic Love | Various Romantic Ideas | Home Page | Site Search

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