Valentine's Day
Who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with
love-letters? There are several Saint Valentines, one of whom was
a Christian priest who lived in Rome during the third century.
According to one legend, the emperor Claudius II decided that single
men made better soldiers than those with families. He therefore
outlawed marriage for young soldiers. Valentine defied Claudius
and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When
Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered him to be
put to death. This supposedly took place on the eve of the feast
of Lupercalia (14 February).
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for
attempting to help Christians escape prisons where they were often
tortured.
Another legend says Valentine sent the first 'valentine' greeting
himself. While in prison he fell in love with a girl who visited
him. He wrote her a letter signed 'from your Valentine,' an expression
still in use today. In the Middle Ages, Valentine became a popular
saint in England and France.
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