Every year in the middle of February, we celebrate a patron, St. Valentine. The history behind Valentine’s Day still remains somewhat mysterious. There are a few variations on how it all started. Most point to the events surrounding a celebration called “Lupercalia” in honor of the God Lupercus.It is said, this celebration had its origins as a pagan tradition in the third century. During this time many hungry wolves stalked outside of Rome attacking sheep. Legend has it that the God, Lupercus, watched over the shepherds and their flocks, keeping them safe from wolves. In February the ancient Romans celebrated the feast named Lupercalia in honor of Lupercus.
During Lupercalia, there was a festival of eroticism that honored Juno Februata, the Goddess of feverish love. It was a festival of sensual pleasure and a time to meet and court a prospective mate. During the festival the names of young maidens were placed into a container and drawn at random by adolescent men and would then be partners for feasting and sexual game playing for the duration of the festival with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry. This celebration continued even after wolves were eliminated.
Seen as a problem to Rome as Christianity grew in influence, priests attempted to "christianize" old secular practices. Pope Gelasius outlawed the pagan festival. He needed a "lovers" saint to replace the pagan deity Lupercus. Valentine, a bishop who had been martyred some two hundred years earlier was chosen. To transform the ancient pagan celebration the church changed the name to St. Valentine's Day. Priests substituted the drawing of Saints names for the names of the girls. On St. Valentine's Day the priest placed saint's names into an urn. Boys and girls then drew a name. In the following year, the youth was expected to emulate the life of the saint whose name he had drawn. By the fourteenth century, girl's names were once again drawn. In the sixteenth century an attempt to once again substitute the name of saints for girls failed. Despite the best efforts of the Church, St. Valentine's Day continued to echo Lupercalia.
Evidently, there were seven men named Valentine who were honored with feasts on February 14th. One of these men named Valentine was a priest under the reign of Emperor Claudius II. This was around when the heyday of Roman Empire had almost come to an end. Lack of quality administrators led to frequent civil strife. Learning declined, taxation increased, and trade slumped to a low, precarious level. The Emperor was unsuccessfully trying to recruit men to serve as soldiers for his wars. The men preferred to remain at home with their wives, families and sweethearts rather than to fight in foreign lands.
Emperor Claudius II became angry and forbade priests to perform new marriages. Valentine, feeling that this law was unjust ignored the decree from the Emperor that forbade all marriages and betrothals. Valentine and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples. After being caught in the act, he was apprehended and brought before Rome. Valentine was condemned, thrown in prison and sentenced to death.
The emperor, impressed with the young priest's dignity and conviction, attempted to convert him to the Roman Gods, to save him from certain execution. Valentine refused to recognize Roman Gods and even attempted to convert the emperor, knowing the consequences fully. On February 24, 270, Valentine was executed.
While imprisoned, Valentine cured a girl of her blindness. This girl was the jailer's daughter. The girl fell madly in love with Valentine, but could not save him. On the eve of his execution, Valentine managed to slip a parting message to the girl, with the help of her father, the jailer. The note, of course, was signed "From your Valentine." After his execution by being clubbed to death and beheaded, his friends retrieved his body and it was buried in a churchyard in Rome.
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