Valentines day what is it

According to Noel Lenski , a historian at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Lupercalia was "clearly a very popular thing, even in an environment where the Christians are trying to close it down. Jack B. By some estimations there are over 10, saints , of which there are more than 30 Valentines and even a few Valentinas.

Two Valentines stand out as likely candidates for the namesake saint, but neither dealt with matters of the heart. The two Valentines share many similarities, leading some researchers to wonder whether they were the same man. Both Valentines were martyrs, put to death by the Roman Emperor Claudius in the third century. Both men were also said to have died on February 14, although years apart. The first Valentine was a priest who was arrested during the Roman persecutions of Christians.

When brought before the emperor, Valentine refused to renounce his faith and as punishment was placed under house arrest. The head of the house holding Valentine challenged the priest to show the true power of God. Soon, Valentine restored sight to a young blind girl and the whole house converted.

Once word of the miracle and conversion reached the Emperor, Valentine was executed. The second priest, the Bishop Valentine of Terni, was also a miracle worker. Known for his ability to heal physical disabilities, a scholar sent for the bishop to heal his only son, who could not speak or straighten his body.

After a night of prayer, the bishop healed the boy—and the family, along with visiting scholars, converted to Christianity. Shortly after the bishop was arrested for his miracles and, after refusing to convert to paganism, beheaded. It was only in the early s that cards were mass produced for the holiday.

In most of those countries the holiday contradicts aspects of their religion. Sure we may no longer whip each other with sacrificial hides, but we all enjoy treating and being treated by those we love.

All rights reserved. Share Tweet Email. That is not romantic at all. In fact, many couples decide to break up near Carnival season just so they could enjoy the party freely. The owner of a clothing store hired Doria due to weak sales in the month of June. His idea was to encourage lovebirds to share gifts with each other.

June 12 was the chosen date for Dia dos Namorados in Brazil. Saint Antony of Padua is recognized for blessing couples with happy and prosperous marriages. His nickname in Brazil is The Matchmaker Saint. By this time Rome had become Christian and the Catholic Church was determined to stamp out any remaining paganism. A pagan fertility ritual was held in February each year and the Pope abolished this festival and proclaimed 14 February Saint Valentine's Day, thus establishing this feast day on the Catholic Calendar of Saints.

This was the beginning of the tradition of courtly love, a ritual of expressing love and admiration, usually in secret. This custom spread throughout Europe and stories grew about a High Court of Love where female judges would rule on issues related to love on 14 February each year.

Historians believe that these meetings were in fact gatherings where people read love poetry and played games of flirtation. The practice of sending love messages developed into people sending special cards expressing their affection. These cards were beautiful creations handmade by the sender and individually designed to show how much they loved the recipient.

Cards would usually contain sentimental verse, proclaiming the beauty of the receiver and how much they were loved. Saint Valentine's Day cards were decorated with pictures of cupid, hearts and flowers and trimmed with lace and ribbon. These images are still used today to symbolise love and are recognised all over the world.

While Valentine's Day is celebrated in most countries, different cultures have developed their own traditions for this festival. In some parts of the world Valentine's Day is observed as a day for expressing love between family members and friends, rather than that of romantic couples.