The Story of Saint Valentines Day

The holiday of St. Valentine's Day probably derives its origins from the ancient Roman

feast of Lupercalia. In the early days of Rome, fierce wolves roamed the woods nearby.

The Romans called upon one of their gods, Lupercus, to keep the wolves away. A

festival held in honor of Lupercus was celebrated February 15th. The festival was

celebrated as a spring festival. Their calendar was different at that time, with February

falling in early springtime.

One of the customs of the young people during that time was name-drawing. On the eve

(the night before) of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on

slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man drew a slip. The girl whose name

was chosen was to be his sweetheart for the year.

Legend has it that the holiday became Valentine's Day after a Catholic priest named

Valentine. Valentine was a priest in Rome at the time Catholicism began dominating the

area. The Emperor at that time, Claudius II, ordered the Roman soldiers not to marry,

become engaged, or choose a companion of the same sex as it would interrupt their

serving as soldiers.  So, Claudius II, believed that as married men, or men with

companions, his soldiers would want to stay home with their families or companions

rather than fight in his wars.  Valentine defied the Emperor's decree and secretly

married the young couples. He was eventually arrested, imprisoned, and put to death.  

Later, the priest became a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.

Valentine was beheaded on February 14th, the eve of the Roman holiday Lupercalia.

After his death, Valentine was named a saint, and his day of celebration was on his day

of death as it was believed that due to his courage, he truly merited eternal rest. As

Rome became more Christian, the Catholic priests moved the spring holiday,

Lupercalia, from the 15th of February to the 14th of Febry, and renamed it St.

Valentine's Day.

         Now the holiday honors St. Valentine instead of Lupercus.  The holiday is celebrated        

         today in somewhat the same manner, but the philosophy of the day remains the same, to          

remember what love is.  Tokens of this love are called “valentines”, which are given to                      

another on that day as warrants of friendship or more.  The color of the day is red, standing

for loving someone enough to die for them.  Marketing now dominates the true meaning of the     

 holiday or holy day when we buy more than one type of valentine for another.