St. Valentine’s Day is February 14. It is rooted in Catholic history, but the history of Valentine’s Day is not well known. There are about three saints that could be the St. Valentine, and their stories are legend. Who is St. Valentine?
Probably the most likely candidate for the St. Valentine whose day we celebrate was a priest who lived during the third century in Rome under the rule of Emperor Claudius II. The emperor outlawed marriage for young men because he believed that single men were better soldiers. Valentine performed marriage ceremonies in secret for the young men. He was martyred in 269 AD when Claudius discovered what he had done.
Another legend has it that while Valentine was in prison, he fell in love with the jailor’s daughter. According to the article, “Valentine’s Day,” published by History.com, “Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed ‘From your Valentine,’ an expression that is still in use today.”
St. Valentine’s DayThe Catholic Online article, “St. Valentine,” explains that while Valentine’s history is uncertain, a St. Valentine really did exist. “Archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14 as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom.”
February 14 may have been chosen to commemorate the time of St. Valentine’s death; however, it is possible that the date was chosen because the pagan festival of Lupercalia was held on February 15. According to History.com, “Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.” The pagan priests would sacrifice a goat for purification, cut the hide into strips, dip them in blood, and then gently slap women with them. The women believed that being touched with the hide strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. They would then place their names in an urn for the men to draw, determining how the men and women would be paired for marriage.
St. Valentine is the patron saint of love, young people, happy marriages, affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, lovers, plague, and travelers.
