Valentine's Day Origin
Like other days of celebration within
our culture, Valentine's Day has its
origins in pagan times. In ancient
Rome this feast day was known as
Lupercalia, the "feast of Lupercus."
Each year in the middle of February
the Romans honored the god Lupercus,
giving him thanks for protecting
them from the wolves which roamed
the woods. The people feasted,
danced and played games.
When the young men wanted partners
for the dancing and games, they drew
names of girls from bowls. Sometimes
they became sweethearts.
When Christianity came to Rome, the
Christian Romans put aside their
belief in Lupercus, but because
Lupercalia was a happy time, and
they did not want to give it up, the
feast of Lupercalia was replaced
with the feast of St. Valentine.
Although Christianity had come to
Rome, it was not accepted by the
Roman Emperor Claudius II, who
considered himself a god. Many times
people were arrested and sometimes
killed for believing in Jesus
instead of the Emperor.
One year a young couple, Julius and
Octivia, who loved each other very
much, wanted to get married. Since
soldiers in that city were not
allowed to get married, they decided
to wed secretly. They went to a very
kind priest who lived outside of the
city, Friar Valentine.
When Julius and Octavia arrived at
Fr. Valentine's home, they found a
beautiful flower garden. Fr.
Valentine was surrounded by little
children who were helping him with
his plants and flowers. As the
children left, Fr. Valentine gave
each of them a bouquet of flowers to
take with them.
One day the children went to the
garden to visit with Fr. Valentine.
When they arrived they found the
flowers trampled and the house
empty. Fr. Valentine had been taken
away to jail because he believed
that Jesus was God.
The children decided to care for Fr.
Valentine's garden. They knew that
would make him happy. Every day some
of the children would take him
flowers from his garden, including
the jailor's blind daughter.
Before Fr. Valentine was put to
death for believing in God, he
prayed to Jesus asking him to heal
the jailor's daughter of her
blindness. She was healed! Before
Fr. Valentine died, he wrote her a
good-bye letter and signed it "From
Your Valentine."
Ever since then, February 14, the
day Fr. Valentine died, became a day
of celebrating. When we give and
receive gifts, flowers and cards on
St. Valentine's day we remember the
kindness of Fr. Valentine showed by
showing our love for others.
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