Read and render the text “Valentine’s Day History”.

It’s that time again. Time to buy little valentines with messages like “Be mine” and “You are tops.” It’s time for all the nifty candy to come out. But most important of all, it’s the time to show those dear to you how much you love them. Isn’t it great that we have an entire holiday devoted to loving one another? Valentine’s Day has dubious origins. There are three main theories on how it came to be.

Some scholars believe that it came from the Roman festival on February 15 called Lupercalia, performed to ensure protection from the wolves. Another theory is that Valentine’s Day is in honor of two Christian saints named Valentine. One lived in Rome in the AD 200s and married young couples against the law of the then-Emperor Claudis II.

The second, who lived in a city about 60 miles outside Rome, made great friends with the children of the town. He was later imprisoned for not worshipping the right gods. The children missed him so much that they threw loving notes through the bars of his cell window. Both were executed February 14 in Rome. In AD 469, St. Pope Gelasius I named February 14 Valentine’s Day.

The third theory is English in origin. Many believed that birds chose their mates on this day. Whatever the origins, Valentine’s Day has been celebrated in different ways over the years. Originally, the names of all the ladies of the town were put into a hat, and the men would each draw one. That lady would become his Valentine. Most young men would buy presents for their valentines. Sometimes they were very expensive!

It’s too bad it has begun to shift back, recently, to the gifts, flowers, and candy mentality. Instead of spending much money saying “I love you” with flowers and candies, do it by giving gifts that come from the heart, not necessarily the store.

Date: 2015-01-11; view: 1157