Why Do We Celebrate Valentine's Day?
So, I decided to look into this holiday. Surely it's big corporations like Hallmark, and the floristry industry behind making us spend our dollars on flowers, cards, and chocolates. If we don't, we face the consequences. No matter what we did the other 364 days (roughly), you don't give a Valentines Day gift, then you are just the worst.
I had, of course, heard of Saint Valentine, but there are many saints. We don't dedicate a gift-giving holiday to all of them. Yet, an easy google search was all it took to find out what makes this Valentine guy different. It was enough to change my whole mentality of the holiday.
Instead of reading pages-on-pages explaining why we still use February 14 as a day to honor Saint Valentine. I'll sum up the myths, the truth, and the legends surrounding this forceful-flower giving holiday.
THE MYTH
The Roman Emperor at the time, Cladius II, was supposedly carrying out a campaign of war that put able bodied Roman citizens in uniform and on the front lines. Many of the Roman men were not willing to go fight because they did not want to leave their wife and children behind. It was then Claudius II made the decision to ban marriage.
Valentine, being the romantic that he was, went against the emperor in this fairytale and performed marriages in secret. When the emperor heard of this he sentenced Valentine to be put to death. While awaiting his now imminent execution, Valentine made friends with the jailer's daughter. Before he was beaten and beheaded, rumor has it that he gave her a card that simply said, "From your Valentine."
But, of course none of this really happened.
In the 5th or 6th century, a work called Passio Marii et Marthae published a story of martyrdom for Saint Valentine of Rome.
It states that Saint Valentine was persecuted for being a Christian. He was interrogated by Claudius II in person. Claudius, having spoke with Valentine, may have even grew to like him. The Emperor attempted to get him to convert to Roman paganism in order to save his life. Valentine refused and tried to convert Claudius to Christianity instead. Because of this, Valentine was executed.
Before his execution, Valentine reportedly performed a miracle by healing Julia, the blind daughter of his jailer Asterius. The jailer, his daughter, his forty-four member family and all of their servants came to believe and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
To me, Jesus Christ was the greatest philosopher of all time and one of the bravest. Jesus faced a sure death for what he taught. His relationship with God is described to be so close, that many of us believe he is the son of God. His teachings of love, humility and forgiveness are beliefs to stand your ground for.
While the mighty Roman Empire waged war and became more powerful and richer than ever, the poor were taxed harder. The Christians who spoke out against the Roman government, who preached about loving their enemies as they would their neighbors, and who said things like "it's easier for camel to go through an eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter heaven," we're being put to death.
Saint Valentine spoke of love for one another, and was killed for it.
Religious beliefs aside, Valentine is someone worth celebrating. If his death was Feb 14 or if it's just the day we honor him, he's earned that day.
If it takes exchanging flowers and cards with our significant other to celebrate his life and remember what he gave it for, then that's fine by me.
But, of course none of this really happened.
What More Than Likely Happened
In the 5th or 6th century, a work called Passio Marii et Marthae published a story of martyrdom for Saint Valentine of Rome.
It states that Saint Valentine was persecuted for being a Christian. He was interrogated by Claudius II in person. Claudius, having spoke with Valentine, may have even grew to like him. The Emperor attempted to get him to convert to Roman paganism in order to save his life. Valentine refused and tried to convert Claudius to Christianity instead. Because of this, Valentine was executed.
(And then this was added for our fairytale ending)
Before his execution, Valentine reportedly performed a miracle by healing Julia, the blind daughter of his jailer Asterius. The jailer, his daughter, his forty-four member family and all of their servants came to believe and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
What does this have to do with accepting Valentines Day as a true holiday?
It's personal for me, so take it for what it's worth.To me, Jesus Christ was the greatest philosopher of all time and one of the bravest. Jesus faced a sure death for what he taught. His relationship with God is described to be so close, that many of us believe he is the son of God. His teachings of love, humility and forgiveness are beliefs to stand your ground for.
While the mighty Roman Empire waged war and became more powerful and richer than ever, the poor were taxed harder. The Christians who spoke out against the Roman government, who preached about loving their enemies as they would their neighbors, and who said things like "it's easier for camel to go through an eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter heaven," we're being put to death.
Saint Valentine spoke of love for one another, and was killed for it.
Religious beliefs aside, Valentine is someone worth celebrating. If his death was Feb 14 or if it's just the day we honor him, he's earned that day.
If it takes exchanging flowers and cards with our significant other to celebrate his life and remember what he gave it for, then that's fine by me.
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