Important facts about St. Valentine’s Day Celebration you didn’t know

Originally, the word Valentine meant the person whose name was picked from a box to be chosen as your sweetheart up until the 1500’s.  Then around 1533, it meant the folded piece of paper with the sweetheart’s name on it.  By 1610 it then became the gift given to this special someone and by 1824 it then became a poem, letter or verse to a sweetheart.

Although Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14 every year, it originates from the Roman celebration called Lupercalia, which was held on February 15, a fertility festival.

Roman armies invaded countries physically as well as socially.  When the Romans invaded France, they introduced this festival in which Roman boys drew names of Roman girls out of an urn (to determine their partners) and then the couple exchanged gifts on the festival’s day.  This was considered a pagan celebration.

So in 469 C.E., Pope Gelasius decided to put a Christian spin on this celebration by declaring that it was now to honour St. Valentine (A young Roman who was martyred by Emperor Claudius II who was said to have died on February 14, 270 C.E. for refusing to give up Christianity).   

Why was he killed? 
Rumour has it that St. Valentine was a priest who defied the emperor’s ban on marriages by marrying young people in secret.  He was discovered, and put to death.

Why was marriage banned?
 According to legend in the 3rd century after Christ,  the Emperor  Claudius II did not want any of his soldiers falling in love and marrying because he felt women and families distracted the soldier’s from their duty to him. And in some cases made the men not want to go to war at all.  And he needed more soldiers so he declared marriage illegal. And anyone performing this ceremony would be killed.

The colours of Valentine’s Day are 
Pink, Red and White for most cards and decorations, but is also on other Valentine commerical items like clothing, stuffed animals, candles, etc.

Red symbolizes warmth and feeling. It is associated with the colour of the human heart.

White is a symbol of purity. (In some cases also of Faith and so it means the faith of the love two people have for each other.)

And so Pink (combination of Red + White) is then a symbol of innocence or virginity in some cases.

Culled from: www.brownielocks.com