Happy Saint Valentine - February 14

"On February 14th around the year 278 A.D., Valentine, a holy priest in Rome in the days of Emperor Claudius II, was executed. Rome was involved in many unpopular and bloody campaigns. The emperor in order to maintain a strong army, he was having a difficulties getting soldiers to join his military. He believed that Roman men were unwilling to join the army because of their strong attachment to their wives and families. So he banned all marriages and engagements in Rome. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine was discovered, Claudius condemned him to death. Valentine was arrested and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. The sentence was carried out on February 14, on or about the year 270.

Legend also has it that while in jail, St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer’s daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it “From Your Valentine.” For his great service, Valentine was named a saint after his death.

The exact origins and identity of St. Valentine are unclear. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “At least three different Saint Valentines, all of them martyrs, are mentioned in the early martyrologies under the date of 14 February.” One was a priest in Rome, the second one was a bishop of Interamna (now Terni, Italy) and the third St. Valentine was a martyr in the Roman province of Africa.

Gradually, February 14 became a date for exchanging love messages, poems and simple gifts such as flowers."