Happy Valentine's Day

To me, Valentine's Day is the stupidest holiday ever invented. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a lonely single young woman (okay maybe I am a little). Once again the pagans have ruined a perfectly good and moral holiday turning it all into love and gifts and lust and greed and an excuse to have some fun at school. Well, I decided that let's look back at the history of Valentine's Day and see what it's really about.

First of all, the origins of Valentine's Day are kind of a mystery, but here are three legends we have of St. Valentine.

We do know St. Valentine was a person. :) One legend says that he was a priest in Rome. The Emperor of the time, Emperor Claudius II decided that single men were better soldiers. So, he banded marriage. But St. Valentine continued to perform marriages in secret. When his actions were discovered he was put to death.

Another legend states that St. Valentine was killed because he tried to help Christians escape the Roman prison and their harsh conditions.

The last legend (a very paganish legend) is that St. Valentine was the first person to actually send a "valentine." While he was in prison he was supposed to have fallen in love with the jailer's daughter. Before he died the letter he sent to her was signed "from your Valentine." Very Romeo and Juliet like.

There is debate over whether or not Valentine's Day is celebrated on the day Valentine was buried or on the pagan holiday of Lupercalia festival. This was the celebration of the beginning of spring and a time for purification. Houses were cleaned. (Ha, now we know where spring cleaning comes from too). It was celebrated on the 15th, a day of fertility dedicated to the Roman god of agriculture. At the festival a priest would sacrifice a goat for fertility and a dog for purification (no, it's not the Chinese that kill and eat dogs). The hide was cut into strips and women and crops were slapped with them. Later all the single women would place their name in an urn and the single men would pick one and the woman they got would be theirs for the year. Usually, they would end up getting married.

Throughout history the Christians and pagans have fought for the true meaning of Valentine's Day and their traditions. So, which to you sounds right?

Personally, I don't think we should pick one day out of the year to show your love and affection for someone. It should be shown all days of the year. And no matter which legend is true about St. Valentine's all legends show that he was a man of love, courage, and generousity. :)

A little video to make you smile. :)
I love the Skit Guys. They're so funny. :)





All information is curtisy of the History channel website. :)
I did leave some information out so if you would like to know more...than google it yourself. :)