Valentine Day Reality

Love and romance, sweets and flowers. cards and gifts. eating and dancing.

Valentine's Day comes with a variety of plans and equipment.

Love. And it all comes in the name of one man who was an interesting (and perhaps slightly misunderstood) figure in history: St. Valentine.

It's time to know and celebrate Valentine's Day!

valentines day story

Some believe that the story of this day is fairly clear, but in reality, the story behind Valentine's Day is shrouded in many mysteries. Celebrate February 14th (and maybe the whole of February!) as a time of love and romance with a background.

But things get a little darker when we look at the life of our recent patron saint, St.

Valentine. Few people know that the Catholic Church actually has records of his three saints who went by the name of Valentine (or Valentinus), and that all three of them died martyrs. 

Where did Valentine get its name?

We are all aware of the fact that the holiday is named after St. Valentine by now. Why then? Who exactly is this enigmatic Valentine?

The New York Times reports that two men could be the inspiration for the holiday. According to NPR, Roman Emperor Claudius II executed two Valentines on February 14—albeit in different years—in the third century A.D. St. Valentine's Day may have been established by the Catholic Church to honor these men, whom they considered to be martyrs.

Saint Valentine of Terni, one of these men, may have been secretly officiating weddings for Roman soldiers against the emperor's wishes, making him a proponent of love in some eyes.

The practice of writing love letters to your Valentine is the subject of another story. The first "valentine" greeting is said to have been written by St. Valentine for a young girl he tutored and fell in love with while he was in prison for the aforementioned offenses. According to The History Channel, he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine" before he died, a phrase that is still frequently used today.

However, these romantic tales are merely legends. Even though St. Valentine is still regarded as a saint, the Roman Catholic Church removed the feast day from its calendar in 1969 due to the lack of historical information about the martyrs who bore their name.

What does Valentine's Day mean today?

Although Valentine's Day is observed in the majority of nations, distinct cultures have developed their own customs for the occasion. Valentine's Day is celebrated as a day to show love to friends and family rather than romantic partners in some parts of the world. Some customs involve friends showing their appreciation for one another and leaving treats and lollipops for children.

Every year, millions of Valentine's Day cards are sent out, and the occasion is typically linked to romantic love. Couples spend precious time together, send flowers or a single red rose with romantic words attached.

Many couples enjoy dinner, a picnic, or a special home-cooked meal on Valentine's Day. Many restaurants offer Valentine's Day dinner specials, and the menu frequently includes romantic symbols like hearts and flowers. Another well-liked Valentine's Day activity that enables a couple to get away from it all and spend quality time together is a stay at a luxurious hotel in a stunning setting. Couples frequently select Valentine's Day as the perfect occasion to declare their love and commitment to one another. It is also a well-liked holiday for marriage proposals. Some marriage proposals are made in very inventive methods, such as after scaling a mountain or by displaying a message on a billboard. No matter what, Valentine's Day marriage proposals are typically sentimental and unforgettable.