Search: saint valentine
Why: It's coming. Pressure pressure pressure! (aka pizza, cuddling, and a "Veronica Mars" marathon)
Answer: Nobody even knows! How about that. There were a bunch of people named Valentine, but nobody knows what they did or why they were even made saints:
The origin of St. Valentine, and how many St. Valentines there were, remains a mystery. One opinion is that he was a Roman martyred for refusing to give up his Christian faith. Other historians hold that St. Valentine was a temple priest jailed for defiance during the reign of Claudius. Whoever he was, Valentine really existed: archaeologists unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius, marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom.According to The Nuremburg Chronicles (1493) - an illustrated Biblical and world history book - one Roman priest named Valentinus was caught marrying Christian couples who were being persecuted by Emperor Claudius.
He was arrested and imprisoned; while in jail, he wrote a love note to the jailer's daughter, signing it, "From your Valentine." Though Claudius took a liking to him, Valentinus then tried to convert the emperor, who subsequently sentenced him to death. He was beaten and stoned, and then beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate around 269 AD.
Valentine is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travelers, and young people. I love bees.
Source: Catholic.org
The More You Know: Fun facts about V-Day:
- In 1537, England's King Henry VII officially declared February 14th the holiday of St. Valentine's Day.
- It may have been invented in an attempt to supersede the pastoral pagan holiday of Lupercalia, observed on February 13 through 15 to avert evil spirits and purify the city, releasing health and fertility. The feast honored Juno, the queen of Roman gods and goddesses, and the goddess of women and marriage.
- Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine's Day in the U.S.
- Approximately 110 million roses, mostly red, will be sold and delivered within the three-day Valentine's Day time period.
- Approximately 1 billion Valentines are sent out worldwide each year, according to the U.S. Greeting Card Association. That's second only to Christmas.
- In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Australia, Denmark, and Italy.
- Every Valentine's Day, the Italian city of Verona - where Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet lived - receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet.
- In the US, 64% of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine's Day with their sweethearts.
