The true story of Valentine's Day

The true story of Valentine's Day The origin of Valentine's Day

The true story of Valentine's Day The origin of Valentine's Day
Year after year, every February 14, millions of people around the world make a demonstration of love to their partner celebrating Valentine's Day and making gifts.
However, not everyone knows the origin of this celebration. Who was Valentine's Day? Why is the patron of lovers?

The origin of Saint Valentine, between history and legend.

It's Valentine's Day on February 14, but who was this famous saint? St. Valentine's history dates back many centuries and is wrapped amid legend, so much so that the Catholic Church today questions its presence and has not celebrated such a festivity since 1969.
The roots of tradition must be sought back in the third century, when the Roman Empire quickly extended Christianity, despite the Roman leadership's efforts to put an end to this new religion that threatened the Empire's stability. That's when Valentine appears in the tradition of three Roman martyrs.
Some sources point to St. Valentine of Terni as the real St. Valentine, others talk of some Valentine who got martyrdom in Africa, but perhaps the most romantic (or legend) history is that of St. Valentine of Rome.

The Valentine's Day of Rome

According to tradition, Saint Valentine of Rome was a Roman priest who spiritually accompanied and helped prepare for martyrdom and death the Christians who had been imprisoned in the persecutions against the practices of this faith.
Another version says it was a priest who was dedicated to secretly marrying couples according to the Catholic rite, even though the Roman authorities forbade the marriage of young soldiers because they would be better fighters if they had no family ties.
Valentin was subjected to martyrdom when it was found and lastly hanged.

One last (and unbelievable) version says that priest Valentín was unfree and fell infatuated together with his jailer's female offspring, to whom he dedicated a dedicated letter of appreciation that he

signed as "de to Valentín," which would become the origin of the tradition of sending the love letters and postcards that the lovers exchange every 14 February.

The Catholic Church picks up the tradition of Valentine's Day

The Catholic Church gathered the legends about Saint Valentine at the end of the 5th century and on February 14 institutionalized its remembrance. It seems that it was Pope Gelasius I who formalized the saint's cult to Christianize the mid-February Lupercals ' ancient pagan festival.
From the outset, however, the Church hid doubts about the historical truth of St. Valentine's events, so that even Gelasius I affirmed that St. Valentine was one of those saints "whose names are venerated by men, but whose actions only God knows," expressing his lack of historical evidence of this martyr.
It was probably during the Middle Ages that romantic love was connected with Valentine's heroic and mythological figure, definitely forging the patron saint's myth. With the passage of the centuries, the fable grew and adorned itself until it reached our days.
In an attempt by the Catholic Church to eliminate those saints of legendary origin from the saints, the festival was removed from the ecclesiastical calendar in 1969.

Valentine's Day and Valentine's Day

It was during the 19th century that the tradition of exchanging Valentine's Day postcards with love messages began in the Anglo-Saxon countries. Shortly after that, the postcards custom would be added to give the couple other gifts like roses, chocolates, and jewelry.
Well into the twentieth century, trade and advertising picked up St. Valentine's figure, urged their patronage on those who were touched by Cupid's arrows or those who pretended to be and took advantage of it to turn 14 February on a date designated to boost your sales.
February 14, day to celebrate love
The truth is that today, 14 February, is a date marked on the calendar of millions of couples worldwide. A day for sharing gifts (material or not), taking the unique care of the beloved and, in brief, a day for celebrating love.
Blessed Valentines!