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The Origin of Valentine's Day By Jane Marie
In 3rd century Rome during the reign of Claudius II, soldiers were needed to man the armies, but men did not want to leave their wives and children. To secure the empire, Claudius forbade new marriages. So Valentine, a Christian priest, secretly began performing wedding ceremonies. When Claudius discovered this, he condemned Valentine to death. While Valentine awaited his fearful end, his admirers visited him in prison, giving him gifts of flowers and verses of support. One of his most ardent visitors was the daughter of a prison guard. Touched by her sincerity, Valentine penned a note of thanks to her on February 14, 269 CE (AD), the day he was to die, signing it, “Love from Valentine.” Valentine was later made a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. Another Roman holiday, the far more ancient festival of Lupercalia, was celebrated on February 15th. This celebration paid tribute to the god of fertility and celebrated sensuality. During the carnival, men would draw the names of women and the couples would unite for one year. At the end of that year, some married. Later on, as Rome became more Christian and in order to do away with the pagan holiday, Pope Gelasius changed the lottery to that of drawing saints’ names. Both men and women were allowed to participate. They were supposed to thereafter live in the same manner as the saint they had chosen until the end of the year. This was not as popular as the drawing of girls’ names. And in 496, Pope Gelasius merged the holidays into one. This became known as St. Valentine’s Day, and was, and still is, celebrated on February 14th. By the 17 century, St. Valentine’s Day was accepted in many western countries. It became the fashion for friends and lovers of all stations to exchange small gifts or handwritten poems or messages. The first machine printed, mass-produced cards were produced in 1840. Since the showing of affection was most often understated, the giving of a pre-printed card conveyed sentiment without the necessity of a face-to- face meeting. Eventually, a simple postage stamp on a “store-bought" Valentine contributed mightily toward the popularity of the holiday. Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, nearly one billion Valentine’s cards are mailed world wide. These cards of love are second only in quantity to the two and a half billion Christmas cards exchanged each year. Curiously, 83% of Valentines purchased are by women. Although purchased cards can be beautiful, have you ever considered creating a handmade Valentine for your special someone? I presented a lavish paper confection to my husband, and he was very surprised and deeply touched. A pair of scissors, some pretty paper, glue, ribbons, lace, glitter, whatever you have and a careful script that simply says, “I love you,” is all it takes. You’ll have fun being an artist and the receiver will be returned to his childhood, probably the last time anyone gave him or her a handmade Valentine. Remember, it’s not the artistry; it’s the love with which your creation is given.
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