The Real St. Valentine And Other Valentine Traditions

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by J. Lenora Bresler


Yes, there was a St. Valentine! He was a bishop in the 3rd century AD. in Italy. At that time, the Roman emperor decreed that soldiers could not marry, believing that they did not fight as hard or take as many chances once they had families to whom they wished to return. This decree was used by many to justify pre-marital and even extra-marital relationships. Bishop Valentinus, in knowing violation of the law, married soldiers and their sweethearts, believing that the law was unjust and promoted unholy living. He was eventually jailed. While there, he befriended his jailer and the jailer's blind daughter, Julia. Over the course of several months, Valentinus mentored the young girl who had a quick mind. She converted to Christianity. On the day before his death, Valentinus wrote a last letter to Julia in which he exhorted her to stay true to her faith. He signed it "from your Valentine." Tradition says that Julia planted an almond tree near the place of his execution on the Via Flaminia outside the walls of Rome. Since that time, almonds, often served at wedding receptions, have been a symbol of love. The feast of St. Valentine, created to commemorate the life and martyrdom of the Christian saint, was instituted on February 14, the day of his death.

During the Middle Ages, another festival was celebrated on the same day called Lupercalia. It was the day people believed that birds found their mates, and boys would reach into a sack and withdraw the name of a girl who was to be their "sweetheart" for the year. For the day, they would attach the paper to their tunics, spawning the phrase "wearing his heart on his sleeve." Meals were specially designed to include known aphrodiasiacs like garlic, oysters, and chocolate.

Over the years, Lupercalia's emphasis on passionate love merged with the historical traditions of Bishop Valentinus to create the holiday we celebrate today. The Victorians were wild for Valentine's Day and, in addition to giving elaborate hand-made cards, gave love tokens such as gloves, along with notes that said things like, "Take the g away and you have love, which I send to you." Other gifts included elaborate spoons, popular because they fit together like lovers, hence the phrase "spooning" to indicate holding one another tightly. To the Victorians, every flower carried a secret message, so bouquets were meticulously created with various flowers designed to convey elaborate messages to lovers. Hair from a lover's head was often plaited into intricate jewelry and given along with rings inscribed with poetry.

So, now that you know the past about Valentine's Day, make sure that those you love have a wonderful present Valentine's Day.

[Diana Daffner]

The greatest present on Valentine's Day is often more about presence - being really, truly, present and connected in love. More about presence than material presents. Sounds like Valentine was in favor of this!

[Doug Ross]

Wow. Thanks for the history lesson. It could, however, be dangerous to take the G away.

Doug