Why do we Celebrate Valentines Day
By chel621
@chel621 (98)
Philippines
February 3, 2007 8:04am CST
I would like to share my thought about valentines day.. Every february, across the country,chocolates, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, and of course Valentines messages, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this day? The history of Valentines Day -- and its patron saint -- is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. Why do so many people get so lovey-dovey at this time of year. And according to the history of Valentines Day.. During the third century, Valentine, who was a devout Christian, would perform marriages for young couples. Emperor Claudius II, however, banned marriage because he did not wnat young men getting married. He believed that single young men made better soldiers than men who were married; therefore he did not want is potential crop of soldiers to depleted.
1 response
@smbilalshah (1316)
• Pakistan
3 Feb 07
well today its just that youngsters especially teenagers get to flirt at this day, but the history of this tradition is as follows,Using the language of the law courts for the rituals of courtly love, a "High Court of Love" was established in Paris on Valentine's Day in 1400. The court dealt with love contracts, betrayals, and violence against women. Judges were selected by women on the basis of a poetry reading.
The earliest surviving valentine dates from 1415. It is a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife. At the time, the duke was being held in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt.
It is probable that the various legends about St. Valentine were invented during this period. Among these legends:On the evening before Valentine was to be martyred for being a Christian, he passed a love note to his jailer's daughter that read, "From your Valentine."
During a ban on marriages of Roman soldiers by the Emperor Claudius II, St. Valentine secretly helped arrange marriages.
Valentine's Day is mentioned by the character Ophelia in Hamlet: "Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's Day."In 1836, relics of St. Valentine of Rome were donated by Pope Gregory XVI to the Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland. In the 1960s, the church was renovated and relics restored to prominence.
In 1969, as part of a larger effort to pare down the number of saint days of purely legendary origin, the Church removed St. Valentine's Day as an official holiday from its calendar. February 14 is now dedicated only to Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius
