What's the history of Valentine's day?

What is valentines day history?

• It is not exactly known why the 14th of February is known as Valentine's Day or if the noble Valentine really had any relation to this day. Saint ValentineThe history of Valentine's Day is impossible to be obtained from any archive and the veil of centuries gone by has made the origin behind this day more difficult to trace. It is only some legends that are our source for the history of Valentine's Day. The modern St. Valentine's Day celebrations are said to have been derived from both ancient Christian and Roman tradition. As per one legend, the holiday has originated from the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalis/Lupercalia, a fertility celebration that used to observed annually on February 15. But the rise of Christianity in Europe saw many pagan holidays being renamed for and dedicated to the early Christian martyrs. Lupercalia was no exception. In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius turned Lupercalia into a Christian feast day and set its observance a day earlier, on February 14. He proclaimed February 14 to be the feast day in honor of Saint Valentine, a Roman martyr who lived in the 3rd century. It is this St. Valentine whom the modern Valentine's Day honors

• Answer:

  It is so sweet that most want to do something for the person that they love. But, wouldn't it be good to show love year round? Show someone you care about them year round? I've found that many do not know the origin of Valentine's Day. The World Book Encyclopedia informs us: “Valentine’s Day comes on the feast day of two different Christian martyrs named Valentine. But the customs connected with the day . . . probably come from an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia which took place every February 15. The festival honored Juno, the Roman goddess of women and marriage, and Pan, the god of nature.”—(1973), Vol. 20, p. 204. Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable says: “Cupid (Lat[in] cupido, desire, love). The Roman god of love, identified with the Greek Eros. He is usually represented as a beautiful winged boy, blindfolded, and carrying a bow and arrows.” The World Book Encyclopedia gives further information, offering various theories on the origin of Valentine Day practices. “According to one story, the Roman Emperor Claudius II in the A.D. 200’s forbade young men to marry. The emperor thought single men made better soldiers. A priest named Valentine disobeyed the emperor’s order and secretly married young couples. . . . Many stories say that Valentine was executed on February 14 about A.D. 269. In A.D. 496, Saint Pope Gelasius I named February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day.” According to The Catholic Encyclopedia, Lupercalia was abolished by Pope Gelasius I in the late fifth century C.E. Yet, today we find a modern-day counterpart prospering under the title: “Saint Valentine’s Day.” There are various theories regarding the origin of this “Christianized” name. According to one story, the third-century Roman emperor Claudius II forbade young men to marry. Valentine, a priest, married young couples secretly. Some say that he was executed on February 14, about 269 C.E. In any case, a “saintly” title cannot conceal the unsavory origin of this celebration. Valentine Day is rooted in pagan rituals and is therefore not celebrated by true Christians. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) Year-round expressions of genuine love are much more rewarding than the passing fancies of a sentimental holiday. Regardless of the true origin of the practice, it is evident that it is rooted in ancient pagan beliefs. Valentine Day is also another excuse for commercial exploitation of an often uninformed public.—2 Corinthians 6:14-18. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says: "Let each one do just as he has resolved in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." If, after reading this, you have any Bible questions, please feel free to contact Jehovah’s Witnesses at a Kingdom Hall in your area.