Happy Valentine's Day

February 14, 2022-Happy Valentine's Day!

What is the history behind Valentine's Day? It began as way for the Catholic Church to replace the gruesome pagan festival of Lupercalia which was a way to honor the "Roman God of Agriculture, Faunus, on February 15th and occurred at the beginning of Spring according to the article "Valentine’s Day-February 14, 2021" from the website Nationaltoday.com. "A goat and dog would be sacrificed symbolizing fertility and purity," according to the same article. It is widely thought the beginning of Valentine's Day started with the various saints named Valentine approximately 496 AD.

According to one legend about Saint Valentine, "an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailor’s daughter–who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and–most importantly–romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France," from the article "History of Valentine's Day" from History.com. This Saint Valentine was killed by the Roman Emperor Claudius II along with the other two other legendary figures known as Saint Valentine as reported from the same article.

By the end of the 5th century Pope Gelasius proclaimed February 14th as Valentine's Day. "It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love," from History.com's article "History of Valentine's Day.

It wasn't until the 15th Century that Valentine's Day started to become associated with romance and people began sending notes of affection or Valentines according to the article "Valentine's Day-February 14, 2022." By the middle of the 19th century "Valentine’s cards began to be commercially produced and traditional gifts were candy and flowers, especially red roses symbolizing love and beauty," according to the same article.

For more information about Valentine's Day please see the following websites:

https://nationaltoday.com/valentines-day/

https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2

https://www.history.com/news/6-surprising-facts-about-st-valentine

Wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!

Enjoy the videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b2PqtpwxCU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JWTaaS7LdU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSGUSALBWN8