How Did Valentines Day Start Essay Example For Students

How Did Valentines Day Start Essay |We didnt find anything vulgar or unseemly in Yahoo!s Saint ||Valentine of Rome or Valentines Day categories. But we did uncover ||some of the myths and legends surrounding this romantic holiday.||The Catholic Church recognizes three different saints named||Valentine who were martyred on February 14, and all date from very ||early in the churchs history. One was a priest in Rome, another was||the bishop of Interamna (modern-day Terni in Italy), and the third ||died in Africa. Some suggest the first two are the same person. The ||holiday was inspired by the bishop of Interamna or a combination of ||the bishop and the priest of Rome.||Many kind, sometimes miraculous acts are attributed to St.||Valentine. One of the most popular legends concerns marriage. The||reigning Roman emperor, Claudius, was recruiting soldiers to go to ||war, but many men didnt wish to leave their wives or girlfriends, ||so the emperor outlawed new marriages. Valentine defied him by||secretly marrying couples, which earned Valentine a prison sentence ||and, ultimately, death. Another tale (sometimes mixed in with the||first one) recounts Valentines stay in prison, during which he||cured the jailers daughter of blindness. He fell in love with the ||woman and sent her a final letter signed from your Valentine. This||is why lovers call each other their valentine. ||As is the case with many Christian holidays, Valentines Day ||probably incorporates some pagan elements. In ancient Rome, February||15 was the start of a major fertility festival called Lupercalia.||This festival was dedicated in part to Juno, the patron goddess of ||women and marriage. During the celebration boys drew girls names||from an urn. Sometimes, these pairings led to a wedding.||When Christianity became the religion of the Roman Empire, the old ||pagan festivals were ended. Many people continued to celebrate them,||so the Church attempted to change the pagan elements. For||Lupercalia, instead of drawing a future mates name, children drew ||the names of saints and were supposed to emulate them for the year. ||The day of St. Valentines was conveniently close to the old ||festival day, thus the pagan celebration evolved into a Christian||saints day. Around the year 498, Pope Gelasius made it official by ||declaring February 14 St. Valentines Day. ||Valentines Day traditions and stories grew popular over time,||particularly in the Middle Ages. The chivalric idea of courtly love ||fit well with this holiday, and noblemen and women sent love notes ||and small gifts. By the 17th century, many people in Europe||celebrated the holiday. In the Victorian era, mass-produced||Valentines Day cards became available, and theyve been a big hit ||with romantics ever since.|| || || |