Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Valentine History

Hey sorry about this being a couple of days late, but better late than never. I know that all of you know what Valentine's day is, but do you know how it came about? Well, I was told this legend about the holiday a long time ago when I was still in elementary school:

Long ago, there lived an emperor who wanted to increase the number of soldiers in his armies. However, married men were reluctant to leave their wives and families, so the emperor passed a law that made it illegal for men to marry. Valentine, however, did marriages in secret, so young couples were still able to continue. When the emperor found out what Valentine was doing, he threw him into prison and ordered him to be executed. On the day of his execution, he gave what legend says was the first card to the jailer's daughter, which said "From your Valentine".

I did read that there were a couple of Christian martyrs who were named Valentine. One was martyred in Rome, the other in what is now Terni. The two of them are honored on February 14 because it bears their name (and was probably named after them). They were probably executed for their faith in Christianity instead of love like most legends suggest. However, the name Valentine has come to represent a day for people who love each other. Sorry about no pictures. Hopefully the next blog will feature some.

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