I’ve never been that much of a fan of Valentine’s Day. Even now that I have a steady boyfriend I’m not that crazy about it. It has always seemed a bit too commercial for me, but I always loved the story of how Valentine’s Day came to exist. The most prominent myth is that a priest named Valentine defied the decree of the Holy Roman Emperor Claudius II that soldiers could not marry.
Valentine, it is said, believed the law was unjust and secretly performed marriage ceremonies between soldiers and the women they loved. Ultimately, Valentine was caught and imprisoned, but even then he would marry any young couple that clandestinely visited his cell. Valentine was a man who believed that nothing could stand in the way of love and he eventually gained sainthood for his beliefs. It is such a romantic story, and the special day to celebrate St. (more…)