2008 Woodie Awards
A Look Back on the Holiday
Jenny Park
Issue date: 2/9/05 Section: Life
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Few people know who the real Valentine was. Who is this person behind the impetus for scarfing up Necco sweethears?
During the third century, a priest named Valentine lived in the Rome. Many legends surround this figure. One legend says that Valentine was presiding over matrimonies in secret. At that time, marriage was outlawed by the Roman Emperor Claudius II who believed that single men made better soldiers, as they had no family obligations.
Valentine was thrown in jail, and so the story goes, cured a jailor's daughter of blindness. Before his execution, he signed a letter "From Your Valentine" to the daughter. Renouncing the pagan gods, Valentine died a martyr for the Christian faith in 270 A.D.
The Romans also celebrated the Lupercalia festival kicking off the spring agricultural season on Feb. 15. According to tradition, bachelors would draw names of women out of an urn, be coupled together for a year, and eventually get married.
In 489 A.D. Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 as St. Valentine's Day to Christianize the festival, only with a few changes. Men would now pick the names of saints and try to emulate their virtues for a year.
This patron saint of lovers might just give you graces to find your Valentine. Who knows? It worked for the Duke of Orleans who is said to have sent the first Valentine to his wife in 1415 while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Now you know who to credit for a day to eat those Necco Valentine heart candies.
During the third century, a priest named Valentine lived in the Rome. Many legends surround this figure. One legend says that Valentine was presiding over matrimonies in secret. At that time, marriage was outlawed by the Roman Emperor Claudius II who believed that single men made better soldiers, as they had no family obligations.
Valentine was thrown in jail, and so the story goes, cured a jailor's daughter of blindness. Before his execution, he signed a letter "From Your Valentine" to the daughter. Renouncing the pagan gods, Valentine died a martyr for the Christian faith in 270 A.D.
The Romans also celebrated the Lupercalia festival kicking off the spring agricultural season on Feb. 15. According to tradition, bachelors would draw names of women out of an urn, be coupled together for a year, and eventually get married.
In 489 A.D. Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 as St. Valentine's Day to Christianize the festival, only with a few changes. Men would now pick the names of saints and try to emulate their virtues for a year.
This patron saint of lovers might just give you graces to find your Valentine. Who knows? It worked for the Duke of Orleans who is said to have sent the first Valentine to his wife in 1415 while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Now you know who to credit for a day to eat those Necco Valentine heart candies.