Why I'm Not A Valentine's Day Fan
By DW Davis
@DWDavis (25805)
United States
February 14, 2016 10:43am CST
On February 14th back in the third century, the exact year is open to debate, the man who would become Saint Valentine was beheaded for trying to convert the Emperor Claudius to Christianity. He and Claudius and become friends while Valentine was in jail for having been guilty of marrying Christian couples. During his time in jail, one of his jailers - or perhaps judges - brought his blind daughter to Valentine and asked the future saint if he would restore her sight. Valentine did so.
Shortly before being led to his death by beheading, Valentine is said to have delivered a letter to the girl whose sight he restored. He'd signed the letter simply, "Your Valentine."
Though he later became the patron saint of engaged couples, love, lovers, and happily married couples, among many other things, it still seems a little gruesome to me to celebrate the way Hallmark, the candy makers, and the flower sellers want us to on the anniversary of Saint Valentine's beheading every year.
How do you celebrate Valentine's Day?
38 people like this
39 responses
@FourWalls (69050)
• United States
14 Feb 16
How am I celebrating? Counting the hours until pitchers and catchers report to spring training! I don't celebrate Valentine's Day. I'm not married, I'm not in a relationship, and I'm not Catholic. Batting 0-3 on this day. 
7 people like this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
14 Feb 16
That definitely is creepy @DWDavis . I can bet you 99 out of 100 people don't know that.
6 people like this
@alchemistrx (2547)
• Philippines
15 Feb 16
@DWDavis I do know his life, but I don't know why were celebrating it if not approved to be officially celebrated.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
14 Feb 16
We are pretty low key here. We make sure to spend time together. Many holidays are actually far from their roots. The key is to be loving every day.
5 people like this
@tuttiharris (1338)
• Chattanooga, Tennessee
15 Feb 16
Garden Gerty, I totally agree with you. We do take this day and make a family meal and feel our day with just being a loving part of each other's lives.
2 people like this
@DianneN (247184)
• United States
14 Feb 16
Lol! I read something like this years ago. Who cares? I spend a romantic day and evening with my precious husband, as I do every day. I asked not to buy me anymore jewelry, because I have more than enough. So, I received a dozen red roses and will be having dinner at a favorite, but pricey, restaurant.
5 people like this
@tuttiharris (1338)
• Chattanooga, Tennessee
15 Feb 16
Dianne, sounds wonderful, and a wonderful way to celebrate. I celebrate with my whole family since they have all grown and moved out to their own homes.. And we just use this day to get together as most holidays. And I fix our dinner in the valentine theme. I love it.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
14 Feb 16
I don't play into the whole go out and buy flowers and candy thing. Neither do I expect my hubby to do it.
4 people like this
@rosekiss (30414)
• Eugene, Oregon
14 Feb 16
I celebrate Valentines Day along since I am divorced., That is okay though, as when I was married, it really never meant much to me then either. Now, after reading our discussion, I am glad that I didn't put any emphasis on it. It is just another day to me anyway. I am spending it in here, as I would rather do that than anything else, anyway.
4 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
14 Feb 16
We don't bother with this day at all, despite being happily married for 50 years. It's become so commercialised anyway. I find it ridiculous that people send cards and presents to people that they aren't romantically involved with. Valentine is the patron saint of lovers, as you say, despite his gory history.
4 people like this
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
14 Feb 16
Some years we might get a special treat., other times...a dollar store card.
3 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
14 Feb 16
Very interesting post. I knew nothing about the history of St. Valentine. I don't think the masses would care about the beheading when it comes to a day of making Hallmark and See's Candy richer. Look, everyone makes a huge party of the Super Bowl which is just a modern day version of the barbaric gladiators in the Roman coliseum and isn't that a celebration of combat between men?
3 people like this
@DWDavis (25805)
• United States
14 Feb 16
I agree completely about the Super Bowl, and football in general, being the modern American version of gladiatorial combat. Rugby as well.
A holiday even less celebrated for its true significance is Saint Patrick's Day.Saint Patrick's Day and the Super Bowl celebrations have a lot in common, mostly they are an excuse to get drunk and act foolish.
3 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
14 Feb 16
@DWDavis That is the way with so many holidays: an excuse to get drunk. It may not happen on Christmas Day but at Christmas parties.
3 people like this
@patgalca (18393)
• Orangeville, Ontario
14 Feb 16
I would rather give and receive acts of love all year long, not just on one day, but since my husband is far from romantic, I have to settle for the one or two days a year... except that sometimes I don't even get that. Today he is working. Though I put a card and some chocolates in his lunch, and we had some chocolate dipped strawberries, I haven't received so much as a phone call from him today. I don't much care for this day because it raises expectations that are dashed for a lot of people.
2 people like this
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
15 Feb 16
@DWDavis That's a good one! I like her sense of humor or was she serious? Either way, thanks for the early morning laugh! 
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25805)
• United States
15 Feb 16
@1hopefulman Oh, she was quite serious. She tossed the chocolates back at me and I threw them away. She kept the roses, though.
1 person likes this
@msiduri (5687)
• United States
15 Feb 16
I knew the history of poor old St. Valentine. For my husband though, we buy each other card. This year, we bought each other plants that will eventually go into the flower bed.
Last yest, we were getting a marriage license. Just us and half the county.
1 person likes this
@msiduri (5687)
• United States
15 Feb 16
@DWDavis We didn't get married on Valentine's Day. We just got the license. We got married on the spring equinox.
A more traditional time for weddings is June, going back to the Roman goddess Juno, goddess of marriage and childbirth. But we went for the equinox, figuring we could more easily book a place.
1 person likes this
