The day gets its name from a famous saint, but there are several stories of who he was. The closest parallel between Lupercalia and modern Valentine’s Day traditions seems to be that the Roman festival involved two nearly naked young men slapping everyone around them with pieces of goat skin. In fact, Valentine’s Day only became associated with love in the late Middle Ages, thanks to the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer. Before you enter into a Christian marriage you want some sense of God in your life—some great need of God in your life. ", "I think we must bear in mind that it was a very permissive society in which Valentine lived," says Father O'Gara. History Of Valentine S Day When Men Beat Women With … Some modern stories paint Lupercalia as a particularly sexy holiday, when women wrote their names on clay tablets which men then drew from a jar, pairing up random couples. CBN is a global ministry committed to preparing the nations of the world for the coming of Jesus Christ through mass media. In the 1370s or 1380s, he wrote a poem called "Parliament of Fowls" that contains this line: “For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird comes there to choose his mate.”. “It just drives me crazy that the Roman story keeps circulating and circulating,” Forbes says. The story of Valentine’s life is equally confusing. He did this in prison on the eve of February 14th, in the year 270 AD. ", "If Valentine were here today, he would say to married couples that there comes a time where you're going to have to suffer. He was supposed to have prayed with and healed the young girl with such astonishing effect that Asterius himself became Christian as a result. Saint Valentine, who according to some sources is actually two distinct historical characters who were said to have healed a child while imprisoned and executed by decapitation. Saint Valentine’s Day has also been associated with a Christian effort to replace the older holiday of Lupercalia, which Romans celebrated on February 15. The Christian was Valentinus. "He was a Roman Priest at a time when there was an emperor called Claudias who persecuted the church at that particular time," Father O'Gara explains. " He also had an edict that prohibited the marriage of young people. The origin of this holiday for the expression of love really isn't romantic at all—at least not in the traditional sense. Claudius had ordered all Romans to worship twelve gods, and had made it a crime punishable by … "Love—human love and sexuality is wonderful, and blessed by God—but also the shadow of the cross. ", "So on the day of the marriage they have to take that into context," Father O'Gara says. The popular belief about St Valentine is that he was a priest from Rome in the third century AD. Victorian-Era 'Vinegar' Valentines Could Be Mean and Hostile. (He could have chosen the Feast of the Holy Cross, but that wouldn’t have sounded as nice in the poem.) Both acts were considered serious crimes. “The two stories that everybody talks about, the bishop and the priest, they’re so similar that it makes me suspicious,” says Bruce Forbes, a professor of religious studies at Morningside College in Iowa. Using television and the Internet, CBN is proclaiming the Good News in 149 countries and territories, with programs and content in 67 languages. And he secretly married them because of the edict.". Valentine's martyrdom has not gone unnoticed by the general public. Valentine's Day hasn't always been associated with romance. And with the power of the Holy Spirit we can do that —even to the point of death.". "There are three stories surrounding him and they all agree on a number of issues. Well, maybe not. "He was a Roman Priest at a time when there was an emperor called Claudias who persecuted the church at that particular time," Father O'Gara explains. Search the internet, and you can find plenty of stories about him—or them. Eventually, St. Valentine was also arrested, condemned to death for his faith, beaten … Valentine was a physician and a priest (or just a physician … or just a priest. According to the ancient writer Plutarch, some young married women believed that being hit with the skins promoted conception and easy childbirth. And the question is, is that young person ready for that? He is the patron saint of beekeepers and epilepsy among other things..like the plague, fainting and travelling. Before being tortured and decapitated on February 14, he sent the girl a note signed “Your Valentine.”, READ MORE: Victorian-Era 'Vinegar' Valentines Could Be Mean and Hostile. “February is the worst month in cold climates,” Kelly says. Today, many people make the pilgrimage to the church to honor the courage and memory of this Christian saint. The historical evidence is so sketchy that it’s not clear whether the story started with one saint who then became two or if biographers of one man borrowed details from the other—or if either ever existed at all. Get to know others seeking God’s guidance and wisdom for life. ", Get FREE "He Cares for You" teaching sheet, Build up your faith as you mediate on inspiring Scripture verses of how much God loves you, Jesus replied, "Your mistake is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God.". There were multiple St. Valentines (including decapitated ones), but it was a medieval poet who first established the holiday's romantic tradition. your Valentine. But, again, early accounts don’t support this. And yet some of them seemed to be attracted to Christian faith. Here is the correct story of St. Valentine: The Holy Martyr Saint Valentine (February 14, 270) The servant of God Valentine was born into a highly educated family, and … Held in Rome each February, part of the event focused on bringing new couples together. Valentine’s Day – it has become an occasion for flowers, chocolates, greeting cards, and other expressions of love. Later, in the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I declared the day of his death as St. Valentine’s Day. In William of Malmesbury's time what was known to the ancients as the Flaminian Gate of Rome and is now the Porta del Popolo, was called the Gate of St. Valentine. The actual day we celebrate is known as St Valentine of Rome to set him apart. ", In the year 269 AD, Valentine was sentenced to a three part execution of a beating, stoning, and finally decapitation all because of his stand for Christian marriage. This famous saint, an Italian doctor who later became a … Father Frank O'Gara of Whitefriars Street Church in Dublin, Ireland, tells the real story of the man behind the holiday -- St. Valentine. We celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th in honor of St. Valentine. Saint Valentine doesn't occur in the earliest list of Roman martyrs, the Chronography of 354, although the patron of the Chronography's compilation was a wealthy Roman Christian named Valentinus. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. February 14 was a date that had sinister connotations long before St Valentine's execution, around this same time (Third Century AD), Romans would celebrate the feast of Lupercalia by sacrificing a goat and a dog before whipping naked women with the … Can God change your life? CBN's ministry is made possible by the support of our CBN Partners. Some accounts say another saint named Valentine during the same period was the Bishop of Terni, also credited with secret weddings and martyrdom via beheading on February 14. It was only at this point that stories began to appear linking Saint Valentine to romance. The 14th-century English poet Geoffrey Chaucer is seemingly the first to have associated St. Valentine’s Day with erotic desire and romantic love. As it was already mentioned, the majority of people from all around the world knows about Valentine’s Day and does celebrate it one way or the other. Some legends say Valentine was a bishop in Terni, Italy, who healed the sick, including the blind daughter of a prison guard whom he met while in jail for practicing Christianity in a pagan world. This was a moment in Europe when a particular set of romantic ideas took shape. Hi, I’m Saint Valentine. All Rights Reserved. © 2021 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Because, an order of Belgian monks spent three centuries collecting evidence for the lives of saints from manuscript archives around the known world. The real story of St Valentine, revealed in a Dublin Church . He inspired today's romantic missives by signing it, "from your Valentine. We are here to help and encourage you! The Dark Origins Of Valentine's Day Valentine's Day is a time to celebrate romance and love and kissy-face fealty. Different accounts have different details, but a lot of it’s the same. But, says Professor Lisa Bitel, few realise that the holiday began as a Christian feast day … Celebrate Valentine's Day with CBN Family. But Forbes said the earliest surviving accounts of the two February 14 Valentines, written starting in the 500s, have a whole lot in common. Imprisoned in the home of a noble, he healed his captor’s blind daughter, causing the whole household to convert to Christianity and sealing his fate. They were called Bollandist… That's what Valentine means to me. That's what Valentine's day is all about, right? He along with St. Marius and his family comforted the martyrs during the persecution of Emperor Claudius II, the Goth. A relationship between the saint and emperor began to grow, until Valentine attempted to convince Claudius of Christianity. "He was a Roman Priest at a time when there was an emperor called Claudias who persecuted the church at that particular time," Father O'Gara explains. It is … “It’s great to have something to look forward to.”. He is every bit as steeped in layers of story, legend and fancy as is good old St. Nicholas (better known as Santa Claus). However, it is found in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum, which … The real history of Valentine's Day is not comprised of roses, chocolates and pretty cards. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! The first St. Valentine was a priest and physician in Rome. St Valentine’s Day Is Celebrated All Around The World! God made it possible for you to know. Valentine’s Day has been big business since the mid-19th century, when American merchants and printers transformed a religious folk tradition into a modern holiday. The ‘Real’ St. Valentine Was No Patron of Love Valentine’s Day, in fact, originated as a liturgical feast to celebrate the decapitation of a third-century Christian martyr, or perhaps two. Did you know we celebrate the Valentines day in the memory of Saint Valentine? Valentine. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. "One of the men who was to judge him in line with the Roman law at the time was a man called Asterius, whose daughter was blind. Get more than a Sunday sermon. "Valentine has come to be known as the patron saint of lovers. Valentine was killed on the 14th or the 24th of February in the year 269 or 270. Valentine was a popular name in ancient Rome, and there are at least 50 stories of different saints by that name. On Feb. 14, sweethearts of all ages will exchange cards, flowers, candy, and more lavish gifts in the name of St. Valentine. How do we know this? The legend of St. Valentine is a story that is rooted in fact. Flowers, candy, red hearts and romance. The story goes that the last words he wrote were in a note to Asterius' daughter. It's not going to be easy to maintain your commitment and your vows in marriage. Yet many people don’t know the origins of this holiday and the courageous stand of the saint for whom it is named. Send a prayer request now, or call 1‑800‑700‑7000. St. Valentine was the first person to write a love letter signed, "From your Valentine." Chaucer and other writers of his time celebrated romance between knights and noble ladies who could never marry—often because she was married already—creating tropes of yearning and tragic obstacles that still drive our romantic comedies today. Like I said, different stories) living in the latter part of the third century. This was based on the hypothesis that unmarried soldiers fought better than married soldiers because married soldiers might be afraid of what might happen to them or their wives or families if they died. Here is the fascinating story of the dark history behind what made February 14 the love-fest it is today. According to legend, St. Valentine signed a letter “from your Valentine” to his jailer’s daughter, whom he had befriended and healed from blindness. Valentine's Day: The Real Story But most of those celebrating don't know that the man for whom this day is named was a Christian persecuted because of his Christian actions. And we know, particularly in the modern world, many people are meeting God through his Son, Jesus Christ. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. History Of Valentine S Day Facts Origins Traditions. When Chaucer wrote of the day when every bird chooses a mate, Kelly argues that he was thinking not of February 14, but of May 3, a day celebrating one of the many other Saint Valentines. But who was this saint of romance? The name seems to have been taken from a small church dedicated to the saint which was in the immediate neighborhood. On February 14, when we share chocolates, special dinners, or doily cards with our loved ones, we do it in the name of Saint Valentine. The story tells that St. Valentine was imprisoned for marrying Christian couples and aiding Christians being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Valentine. Saint Valentine the Patron Saint of Marriage Here’s his story in a simple way retold for our kids to understand. The legend of St. Valentine is a story that is rooted in fact. Although it is not known whether this legend is factually true, it is a good story anyway. And so it immediately presented the problem to the Christian church of what to do about this. Updated January 31, 2019 Saint Valentine is the patron saint of love. Perhaps more disappointing for the romantics among us, the early accounts of the two Valentines are typical martyrdom stories, stressing the saints’ miracles and gruesome deaths but containing not a word about romance. Both were said to have healed a child while imprisoned, leading to a household-wide religious conversion, and they were executed on the same day of the year and buried along the same highway. Instead, crime, imprisonment and execution are at the genesis of our modern day love fest, dating back to the man whose martyrdom may have inspired the holiday. ", "The idea of encouraging them to marry within the Christian church was what Valentine was about. Valentine was eventually caught, imprisoned and tortured for performing marriage ceremonies against command of Emperor Claudius the second. If you have an immediate prayer need, please call our 24-hour prayer line at 800-700-7000. “The bottom line for me is until Chaucer we have no evidence of people doing something special and romantic on February 14.”, Historical Picture Archive/Corbis/Getty Images, So how did Chaucer create the Valentine’s Day we know today? ", "What Valentine means to me as a priest," explains Father O'Gara, "is that there comes a time where you have to lay your life upon the line for what you believe. It seemed that he was born in 226 in a tiny little city called Terni in Umbria in Italy and that he was either a priest or a bishop. There are legends surrounding Valentine's actions while in prison. Multiple Martyred Saint Valentines Valentine was a popular name in ancient Rome, and there are at least 50 stories of different saints by that name. © 2021 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. Whatever minor romantic connotations might have been part of Lupercalia, they didn’t translate to the new Christian holiday. “They’re both mythical to begin with, and the connection with love is even more mythical,” says Henry Kelly, a scholar of medieval and renaissance literature and history at UCLA. I lived a long long time ago when Claudius II was the ruler of Rome. But, since his contemporaries were more familiar with the Feb. 14 Saint Valentine’s Day, that was the date that became attached to the new holiday of romance. By the 1400s, nobles inspired by Chaucer had begun writing poems known as “valentines” to their love interests. Unfortunately for anyone hoping for a tidy, romantic backstory to the holiday, scholars who have studied its origins say there’s very little basis for these accounts. This is his story. In Kelly’s view, Chaucer was looking for a way to celebrate King Richard II’s betrothal to Anne of Bohemia on that day and found that was the feast day for Valentine of Genoa. Father Frank O'Gara of Whitefriars Street Church in Dublin, Ireland, tells the real story of the man behind the holiday—St. The celebration surrounding this day actually has roots in an ancient pagan festival that started centuries before Valentine was even alive. Discover God's peace now. But obviously the church thought that marriage was very sacred between one man and one woman for their life and that it was to be encouraged. The story of the life of one Christian priest eventually transformed into a worldwide phenomenon. Father Frank O'Gara of Whitefriars Street Church in Dublin, Ireland, tells the real story of the man behind the holiday—St. In fact, Whitefriars Street Church is one of three churches that claim to house the remains of Valentine. "The story of Valentine's Day begins in the third century with an oppressive Roman emperor and a humble Christian Martyr. In truth, the historical St. Valentine is a man of myth. Very often legends will develop from real facts. It is believed that Valentine was … But there’s one final twist in the myth of Saint Valentine. Like many of the saints. One Saint Valentine was supposedly a Roman priest who performed secret weddings against the wishes of the authorities in the third century. Believers say God worked through his life to perform miracles and teach people how to recognize and experience true love. In the third century, the Roman Empire was ruled by Claudius II Gothicus. St valentine the real story cbn the history of st valentines day who was st valentine history day has evolved from animal sacrifices. Two of them were executed during the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius Gothicusin 269-270 A.D., at a time when persecution of Christians was common. The emperor was Claudius II. Another common legend states that he defied the emperor’s orders and secretly married couples to spare the husbands from war. Don't be surprised if the 'gushing' love that you have for someone changes to something less "gushing" but maybe much more mature. After all, England is still awfully cold in mid-February. Ancient sources reveal that there were several St. Valentines who died on Feb. 14. ANCIENT MATCHMAKERS. READ MORE: How Chivalry Died—Again and Again. "Polygamy would have been much more popular than just one woman and one man living together.