By Alex Vitti
A festival held in honor of Lupercus was celebrated February 15th. The festival was celebrated as a spring festival. Their calendar was different at that time, with February falling in early springtime.
One of the customs of the young people was name-drawing. On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man drew a slip. The girl whose name was chosen was to be his sweetheart for the year?
Legend has it that the holiday became Valentine's Day after a priest named Valentine. Valentine was a priest in Rome at the time Christianity was a new religion. The Emperor at that time, Claudius II, ordered the Roman soldiers NOT to marry or become engaged.
Claudius believed that as married men, his soldiers would want to stay home with their families rather than fight his wars. Valentine defied the Emperor's decree and secretly married the young couples. He was eventually arrested, imprisoned, and put to death.
Valentine was beheaded on February 14th, the eve of the Roman holiday Lupercalia. After his death, Valentine was named a saint. As Rome became more Christian, the priests moved the spring holiday from the 15th of February to the 14th - Valentine's Day. Now the holiday honored Saint Valentine instead of Lupercus.
But, this is just one side of the story...
So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.
One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers.
Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.
According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today.
Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alex_Vitti
Showing posts with label Valentine Histories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Valentine Histories. Show all posts
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Valentine's Day by Jenny Chane
Valentine's Day celebrates all the vibrant love stories that have existed in the history since the time we can't even imagine. And the most illustrious story has been that of Saint Valentine, who set a pioneering example of sweeping the world off its feet. He was the one, who did the priestly service of letting all lovers assert their love without being scared by the wiles of the world. Emperor Claudius of Rome was one of those rulers who adopted every adroit move to abolish love only to satisfy his selfish aims. But Saint Valentine stood like a wall in the midst of all his cunning strategies. He acted as a resolute supporter of love marriages and did not falter even in the thick of ruthless law introduced by King Claudius, which had been trying its best to banish love completely. Because of his heroic attitude, everyone pays obeisance to him on the Valentine's Day of every year.
The love-driven spirit of this special lovers' day gets livelier with all the associations this day has with the inspiring Saint Valentine. The way he stated the depth of his love by the famous words, " From your Valentine" and the way he got martyred and motivated the love spirit of a series of lovers of the proceeding generations is something that stays indelibly stamped on every feature of Valentine's Day. Another reason for considering this day truly auspicious for lovers is its relation with goddess Juno. Being the deity of fertility, she promises to gift all the sincere lovers, a flourishing relationship and lifetime of love. Therefore, we can say that there is no scarcity of valid reasons to celebrate this day with uncommon zest and to allow cupid to make everything all the more magical in the love groove of 14th February.
And as soon as we allow the magic of love, it takes no time to get enamored by a host of Valentine cards. Truly, all the love-filled feelings become all the more apparent when they showcase themselves in the form of chromatic cards peppered with the hearty love messages. When teddy bears snuggle into each other or when ardent lovers gaze into each other's eyes or when two hearts come closer in the scenario of Valentine cards, the feeling of love takes no time in getting into its full expression mode. And all such cards along with expressions make all of us in full swing of the Valentine fever.
Author's Bio: Jenny Chane is an associated editor of http://www.mydearvalentine.com/. Grab the latest ideas and views by flipping through the pages of mydearvalentine. Your feedback is highly appreciated at jennychane@gmail.com
About the Author
Jenny Chane is an associated editor of http://www.mydearvalentine.com/. Grab the latest ideas and views by flipping through the pages of mydearvalentine. Your feedback is highly appreciated at jennychane@gmail.com
Source : http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=745225
Where Valentine Gifts Came From by Online Shopping
Where exactly did Valentine's Day originate? Its roots would actually take us back to old times of the Roman period when King Claudius was the ruler. The day has been held as kind of like a festival to honor and celebrate the queen of the Roman gods.
About the Author She was then recognized as the sole goddess of matrimony and the female sex. On the following day, the Lupercalia Feasts were celebrated. As the eve of this festival took place, the only people who were allowed to be together were the youth, as they were kept separated the rest of the time. Basically, this was one of the theories of the origins of Valentine's Day.
Also a theory of the history of Valentine's Day, the story of the sacrifices that were made by Valentine, a Christian martyr, was truly touching. It was said that back then, the Roman emperor required a large number of soldiers to form a huge army. However, he was unable to do so because there were a lot of people who did not want to be away from their families to go to war. This became a big problem for the emperor so he ordered people to stop getting married. Of course, not all the people wanted to follow, especially those who really wanted to get married. So Valentine, who was a priest back then, conducted secret marriages. This became the foundation of St. Valentine's Day that is now celebrated everywhere.
Regardless where Valentine's Day originated from, it is truly a day when we can celebrate the love we have and share with our loved ones. We should all see it as a great opportunity to give gifts and presents that would express our love and appreciation to those who are dear to our hearts.
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Source : http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=763440
Did You Know…? A Little Story About Valentine’s Day
by:
Did You Know That…
…Valentine’s Day is the second largest card sending holiday of the year, second only to Christmas?
…Women purchase about 85% of Valentine’s?
…Valentine’s Day is also celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Australia?
…In February 2004, $2.4 billion worth of jewelry was purchased?
While some things can be known about the origins of Valentine’s Day, one thing we don’t know for sure is just where or when we began celebrating amore, although there have been many stories told over the years. I’ve been reading a few of the legends and myths and I want to share them with you. I have my favorite. Now you pick yours.
The Stories About Saint Valentine
One story alleges that Valentine was a priest living in the 3rd century in Rome. His story is deeply enmeshed with that of the Emperor Claudius II (aka: Claudius the Cruel), who ruled Rome at this time. Claudius was involved in many wars around Rome, but he could not convince many men to leave their wives and families. His solution was to outlaw marriage and cancel all engagements. The men would then be able to focus on waging war. Valentine, believing this law to be unjust, began marrying couples in secret. When Claudius discovered what Valentine was doing, it is said that he had him executed.
Another story has Claudius killing Valentine for helping Christians escape the Roman prisons, where they were regularly beaten and tortured.
Yet a third story claims that Valentine was put to death for curing the jailor’s daughter of her blindness. She frequently visited Valentine while he was jailed. They were said to have fallen in love. In fact, Valentine may have originated the tradition of sending written avowals of love and romance. Prior to being put to death, Valentine allegedly wrote a letter to her, signing it “From your Valentine”, an expression we continue to use today. It is believed that he was executed on February 14, 269 A.D. Thus, Saint Valentine became both a romantic and a hero.
The Feast of Lupercalia
The Feast of Lupercalia may have been the first legend told surrounding the beginnings of Valentine’s Day. Lupercalia, a fertility festival celebrated on February 15, was a celebration to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture. Lupercalia was also a dedication to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. Lupercus was said to watch over the shepherd’s flocks, keeping then safe from wolves. The Roman priests would sacrifice both a goat and a dog to begin the festival. The goat represented fertility, while the dog symbolized purification.
The goat’s hide was then sliced into strips and dipped into the sacrificial blood. The men went out into the streets, gently slapping the women with the goathide strips. The women welcomed this gesture as they believed it would make them more fertile in the year ahead. Later in the day, all the single women’s names were placed in an urn. The bachelor men would pull a name from the urn. The couple would spend much time together over the next year and many of these pairings resulted in marriage.
The Feast of Lupercalia continued for centuries. As Christianity began to take hold though, the priests strived to replace the heathen practices by substituting the names of saints for the girls names. Those drawing from the urn would then aspire to imitate the lives of the saint whose name they had drawn. While the priests wished to abolish the pagan traditions, they sought to keep the festival flavor of feasts and sports. Thus, Lupercalia became Valentine’s Day.
Traditions Over the Ages
The origins of our modern valentines most likely date back to the early 1400’s. While he was a prisoner in the Tower of London, the French Duke of Orleans wrote many, many poems and valentines to his wife. Some of these remain and are on display at the British Museum in London. Flowers became popular gifts about 200 years later in France.
Americans began the tradition of exchanging hand-made valentine’s in the early 1700’s.
Presently, every February, all across America, we celebrate our love and our loved ones on Valentine’s Day with gifts, flowers, candy, and Valentine’s greeting cards. Saint Valentine became the patron saint of lovers and we continue to celebrate the spirit of love and sentiment and good feelings.
About The Author
Patricia Tomaskovic is the Owner of http://www.one-stop-gift-shop.com President of http://www.goceilingmedallion.com. Both can be found online. We invite you to come in and browse. If you can't find it anywhere else, we've got it! We are a fully stocked online shopping mall with over 3500 items, offering a complete line of gifts for every occasion.
Copyright 2006
Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/family/article_1758.shtml
Wolves, Goats, Martyrs and War: a History of Valentine's Day
by:
Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/family/article_130.shtml
Valentines Day is one of the most enigmatic of holidays, having appeared in many forms. But all “Valentine’s Days” have drawn suspicion. In fact, after hundreds of years of attempted reform, Christian observance came to an end when the Catholic Church purged St. Valentine’s Day from its calendar in 1969.
Still, the holiday continues to inspire an annual avalanche of cards, not to mention the mass consumption of chocolates, flowers and sometimes, pricier presents. What do we commemorate when we celebrate Valentine’s Day?
- Running with the Wolves
If you’ve ever researched the history of Valentines Day, you know it began with wolves and ancient Spring magic. The earliest instance we know of starts with the tough old shepherds and founders of Rome who feared and respected the wolves that preyed on their flocks. Once a year, they held sacrifices to Lupercus, the god of shepherds, enemy of wolves, and friend of dogs. Other shepherds sacrificed to Faunus, who also protected shepherds but was part goat.
The celebration, called Lupercalia, was held during early spring, which since time immemorial has been a season for purification. All the ancients saw that in the winter, the earth fell quiet and covered itself in white. Late winter and early spring was the time for human purification also, to be followed closely by fertility magic.
- Something Old, Something New
Rome still celebrated Lupercalia after it had matured and become a great republic. In fact, all civic life came to a halt for the festival.
Because of the Remus and Romulus legend, Lupercalia enjoyed great respect. Sons of noblemen were appointed to be Lupercalian priests, or luperci, and tasked with a number of duties. Each year they sacrified a dog (for Lupercal) and a goat (for Faunus) at the bottom of a cave at Palantine Hill. Wearing nothing but goat hide, they cut thongs from the skin and ran the perimeter of “old Rome,” slapping women with the bloody strips. Women put themselves forward for this, meaning to be purified and made fertile. (Our month of February, Febrarius, means “month of purification.”) Afterward, Rome indulged in a love lottery in which young men drew young women’s names from a jar and became their “partners” for a time.
Eventually, the Roman upper-crust grew too refined to feel at ease with Lupercalia. Cicero sniffed that the luperci were:
-------------
A certain wild association of Lupercalian brothers, both plainly pastoral and savage, whose rustic alliance was formed before civilization and laws.
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A certain politician made sport of Lupercalia's anachronistic air by wearing his luperci skin to work and haranging his fellow senators.
Eventually, Lupercalia began to fall out of favor, although Augustus revived it for a time in a fit of national patriotism.
- The Church Triumphant
The church is sometimes vilified for its Lupercalian edits. It found the love lottery unacceptable, as well as the luperci. But rather than ban the fete outright, it tried assimilation.
First, the love lottery was replaced with a high-minded version, where each man drew a saint instead of a girl and was invited to emulate that saint throughout the year. (This custom is sometimes observed today). Then the purification aspect was re-clothed in a feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, scheduled for early February. As for fertility magic, the church dodged this altogether, although one can see traces of the purifying and “greening” impulse in the spirit and chapel decorations of Lent.
As for the fourteenth of February, the church dedicated the day to the Christian martyr, Valentine. Contrary to the sugared rumors that have sprung up around him (or more accurately, them -- there were several St. Valentines), the saint almost certainly had nothing to do with love or romance.
- Knights in Shining Armor
Lupercalia had been well and truly squelched in Rome. But to the west and north, where the Age of Chivalry triumphed, Europeans could not let the tradition molder and with childlike zest, revived it. The English cast off the papal practice of drawing saints, but their new notions of chivalric love led to a more innocent type of boy/girl lottery than Rome had ever seen. Young girls drew on the power of dream pillows -- filled or pinned with aromatics like bay leaves or lavender -- to catch a glimpse of their future mates. Small children dressed in adult clothes and roamed the streets, gently mocking the “new” fascination with love:
"Good morning to you, valentine
Curl your locks as I do mine--
Two before and three behind.
Good morning to you, valentine."
Unlike the serious Lupercalian business of patriotism and the appeasement of gods, this kinder, gentler Valentine’s day spoke of a young person’s coming-of-age. Chivalry’s themes of chaste love and longing played major roles.
Hail, Bishop Valentine! Whose day this is
All the air is thy diocese,
And all the chirping choristers
And other birds are thy parishioners … wrote Donne.
The world grows old over and over again, and in England, Valentine’s Day aged with it. The tradition of laying out for gifts took hold, with the height of luxurious gifting possibly reaching its height around Restoration England. Lords gave Ladies rings and brooches of staggering worth, and even Samuel Pepys (not a famous romantic) recorded having given his wife “a Turkey-stone set with diamonds.” She was grateful, and as he noted, “I am glad of it, for it is fit the wretch should have something to content herself with.”
- Initially Resistant
Pragmatic, puritanical America long withstood Europe’s festivities, fending off fairies, maypoles, effigy-burning and even Valentine’s Day. Women were scarce in the harsh days of the nation’s dawn, and public displays of affection were outlawed in any case. It wasn’t until the Civil War that the country relented: long, lonely rifts in families endeared the saint to them at last. Prior to the war, elaborate commercial valentines (including “mechanical” types) had begun to flood the market and grow more affordable.
Of course, this uncharacteristic flood of romance could not go unchecked, and the widespread embrace of valentines was closely followed by the “vinegar” valentine, a comic and sometimes, caustic type.
When the war ended, and Americans crept into the light of Reconstruction, they found a freshly industrialized nation. Along with it came a transcontinental railroad, typewriters, an internal combustion engine, and -- most importantly for Valentine’s Day -- heart-shaped boxes full of commercial chocolates (a gimmick invented by the Cadbury brothers during the 1860s). Although fine diamonds and jewelry never quite became the norm among Americans, the standard “recipe” of cards, flowers, and a heart-shaped box of chocolates had been carved in the national psyche. Now Valentine’s Day is only second to Christmas in number of cards bought and sent.
About The Author
Blake Kritzberg is a copywriter, web designer, and proprietor of http://www.e-free-greeting-card.com. This article may be freely reprinted so long as this resource box and URL are preserved. Visit the website for listings and reviews of funny, spiritual and edgy e-cards.
Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/family/article_130.shtml
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
A Brief History Of Valentine's Day
Autor: teahupoo
The celebration of Valentine's Day owes its existence to an ancient pagan ritual. With the spread of Christianity, priests had numerous heathen practices to deal with among their constituents. One of these ancient rituals was the Feast of Lubercus which they changed to St. Valentine's Day changing the pagan practice of drawing girl's names with drawing Saints' names. Young people would draw the names from an urn or box and then were expected to emulate that Saint's life during the following year. Unfortunately, by the 14th century they had reverted back to drawing girl's names, in the 16th century they tried again to have saintly valentines but it failed.
According to lore there were seven men named Valentine honored with feasts on February 14th. One of these men named Valentine was a priest during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Valentine was honored by the young and old, rich and poor, with people of all walks of life attending his services. At this time Emperor Claudius was heavily recruiting men to serve as soldiers for his wars without much success. The men preferred not to leave their wives, families and sweethearts to fight in foreign lands. Claudius became angry and declared that no more marriages could be performed and all engagements were cancelled.
According to the story, Valentine thought this practice to be unfair and secretly married several couples. When Claudius found out, he had Valentine put in prison where he died. Friends and patrons of the priest retrieved his body and buried it in a churchyard in Rome.
Another version of the story tells that St. Valentine was jailed for helping Christians. According to this story, while Valentine was in prison he cured a jailer's daughter of blindness. Claudius became enraged and had Valentine clubbed and beheaded on February 14, 269 A.D.
Yet another story claims that Valentine fell in love with the jailer's daughter and wrote her letters that were signed "From your Valentine."
All of the Valentines in time evolved into one. In 496 Pope Gelasius declared the day a holiday in honor of St. Valentine. Through the centuries the Christian holiday became a time to exchange love messages and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. Lovers' quarrels come under his jurisdiction and, naturally, he is the patron saint of engaged couples and of anyone wishing to marry.
Source: http://www.articlecircle.com/ - Free Articles Directory
About the Author
Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. For a unique love gift go to http://www.bottledlovemessage.com
The celebration of Valentine's Day owes its existence to an ancient pagan ritual. With the spread of Christianity, priests had numerous heathen practices to deal with among their constituents. One of these ancient rituals was the Feast of Lubercus which they changed to St. Valentine's Day changing the pagan practice of drawing girl's names with drawing Saints' names. Young people would draw the names from an urn or box and then were expected to emulate that Saint's life during the following year. Unfortunately, by the 14th century they had reverted back to drawing girl's names, in the 16th century they tried again to have saintly valentines but it failed.
According to lore there were seven men named Valentine honored with feasts on February 14th. One of these men named Valentine was a priest during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Valentine was honored by the young and old, rich and poor, with people of all walks of life attending his services. At this time Emperor Claudius was heavily recruiting men to serve as soldiers for his wars without much success. The men preferred not to leave their wives, families and sweethearts to fight in foreign lands. Claudius became angry and declared that no more marriages could be performed and all engagements were cancelled.
According to the story, Valentine thought this practice to be unfair and secretly married several couples. When Claudius found out, he had Valentine put in prison where he died. Friends and patrons of the priest retrieved his body and buried it in a churchyard in Rome.
Another version of the story tells that St. Valentine was jailed for helping Christians. According to this story, while Valentine was in prison he cured a jailer's daughter of blindness. Claudius became enraged and had Valentine clubbed and beheaded on February 14, 269 A.D.
Yet another story claims that Valentine fell in love with the jailer's daughter and wrote her letters that were signed "From your Valentine."
All of the Valentines in time evolved into one. In 496 Pope Gelasius declared the day a holiday in honor of St. Valentine. Through the centuries the Christian holiday became a time to exchange love messages and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. Lovers' quarrels come under his jurisdiction and, naturally, he is the patron saint of engaged couples and of anyone wishing to marry.
Source: http://www.articlecircle.com/ - Free Articles Directory
About the Author
Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. For a unique love gift go to http://www.bottledlovemessage.com
The origins of Valentines Day
by : By Paul Wilson
Every year February 14th is celebrated as a day for love, exchange of gifts, promises of eternal passion, and more. The inspired pen poems inspired by their love and admiration for the women of their dreams while others just go to shops and buy commercially available verses.
Valentines means candy, chocolates, perfume, red hearts, balloons, and more. Have you ever wondered when the celebration first originated? Well in ancient Rome, February heralded the coming to spring a time for rejuvenation, fertility, and growth.
In ancient times, Romans celebrated in February a festival to honor the god of fertility who provided them with progeny and ensured a god crop. In Rome February 15th was celebrated as the feast of Lupercalla and Feb 14th as a holiday in honor of Juno the queen of Roman gods and goddesses. On the eve of Lupercalla a glass jar was filled to the brim with chits on which were penned the names of all eligible girls. Then young men would draw a chit each from the jar and the girl whose name was on the chit would be his partner for the celebration. This was a method by which ancient Romans introduced eligible boys and girls to one another.
Much later in the 3rd century BCE when Emperor Claudius II ruled Rome there lived a priest called Valentine. And when Claudius passed a decree that young men in his empire were not to marry, Valentine defied him and used to consecrate marriages secretly. He was sentenced to death and thrown into prison. While awaiting his execution Valentine penned a letter to his love and signed it “from your Valentine. After his death Valentine became a martyr and saint and was popularly known as St Valentine.
Wonderful legends are woven around Valentine’s Day. In Wales young people exchanged as gifts wooden spoons which were hand carved with decorations of hearts and key holes. The decorations conveyed “you hold the key to my heart or you unlock my heart.†In other places women were given gifts of clothes and if they accepted the gift then it conveyed that they were wiling to marry the man who has sent the gift.
In 1415, Charles, the Duke of Orleans is known to have penned, from his prison in the tower of London , what were known as “poetical amorous addresses†to his wife in France, he is believed to be one of the earliest creators of valentines.
Just as companies like Hallmark sell cards for Valentines Day in the 15th century people bought little booklets with verse in them ---they then made their own valentines using the verse to express their thoughts. For example a valentine could have the hand drawn illustration of a knight and his lady with Cupid the god of love shooting arrows into the knight’s heart.In the US it was after 1723, that popularity of the celebration grew. People imported the “booklets of verse†all the way from England and copied the verses on to gilt edged papers. Then a Ms. Ester Howard in around 1830 decided to be original and create American Valentines that were marketed as Worcester Valentines.
Since then with changing centuries and tastes the celebration has taken on new hues with young men and women, children, as well as older couples creating newer ways to celebrate and declare their undying love.
About the Author:
Paul Wilson is a freelance writer forhttp://www.1888PressRelease.com/Lifestyle-0-24.html, the premier website to Submit Free Press Release for any announcements including launching of new product or services, new website, announcing new hires, sponsoring a special event or seminar and more.
He also freelances forhttp://www.1888Articles.com/love-articles-178_19.html More Article - http://www.articles-hub.comThis article is free for republishing
Every year February 14th is celebrated as a day for love, exchange of gifts, promises of eternal passion, and more. The inspired pen poems inspired by their love and admiration for the women of their dreams while others just go to shops and buy commercially available verses.
Valentines means candy, chocolates, perfume, red hearts, balloons, and more. Have you ever wondered when the celebration first originated? Well in ancient Rome, February heralded the coming to spring a time for rejuvenation, fertility, and growth.
In ancient times, Romans celebrated in February a festival to honor the god of fertility who provided them with progeny and ensured a god crop. In Rome February 15th was celebrated as the feast of Lupercalla and Feb 14th as a holiday in honor of Juno the queen of Roman gods and goddesses. On the eve of Lupercalla a glass jar was filled to the brim with chits on which were penned the names of all eligible girls. Then young men would draw a chit each from the jar and the girl whose name was on the chit would be his partner for the celebration. This was a method by which ancient Romans introduced eligible boys and girls to one another.
Much later in the 3rd century BCE when Emperor Claudius II ruled Rome there lived a priest called Valentine. And when Claudius passed a decree that young men in his empire were not to marry, Valentine defied him and used to consecrate marriages secretly. He was sentenced to death and thrown into prison. While awaiting his execution Valentine penned a letter to his love and signed it “from your Valentine. After his death Valentine became a martyr and saint and was popularly known as St Valentine.
Wonderful legends are woven around Valentine’s Day. In Wales young people exchanged as gifts wooden spoons which were hand carved with decorations of hearts and key holes. The decorations conveyed “you hold the key to my heart or you unlock my heart.†In other places women were given gifts of clothes and if they accepted the gift then it conveyed that they were wiling to marry the man who has sent the gift.
In 1415, Charles, the Duke of Orleans is known to have penned, from his prison in the tower of London , what were known as “poetical amorous addresses†to his wife in France, he is believed to be one of the earliest creators of valentines.
Just as companies like Hallmark sell cards for Valentines Day in the 15th century people bought little booklets with verse in them ---they then made their own valentines using the verse to express their thoughts. For example a valentine could have the hand drawn illustration of a knight and his lady with Cupid the god of love shooting arrows into the knight’s heart.In the US it was after 1723, that popularity of the celebration grew. People imported the “booklets of verse†all the way from England and copied the verses on to gilt edged papers. Then a Ms. Ester Howard in around 1830 decided to be original and create American Valentines that were marketed as Worcester Valentines.
Since then with changing centuries and tastes the celebration has taken on new hues with young men and women, children, as well as older couples creating newer ways to celebrate and declare their undying love.
About the Author:
Paul Wilson is a freelance writer forhttp://www.1888PressRelease.com/Lifestyle-0-24.html, the premier website to Submit Free Press Release for any announcements including launching of new product or services, new website, announcing new hires, sponsoring a special event or seminar and more.
He also freelances forhttp://www.1888Articles.com/love-articles-178_19.html More Article - http://www.articles-hub.comThis article is free for republishing
Origin Of Valentine's Day
Source : http://www.freearticlesarchive.com/article/Orgin_Of_Valentine_s_Day/12694/0/
by Nicole Dean on 2007-09-22
Each February, in places around the world, friends exchange flowers, gifts, and candy in celebration of Valentine's Day. The name of St. Valentine is known across the globe as a patron saint. Most of us however, do not know the true origin of St. Valentine and how this special day came to be. What we do know is that February is the month of romance. As we know it today, St. Valentine's Day contains elements of both ancient Roman and Christian traditions. The Catholic Church recognizes at least three martyred saints names Valentine or Valentineus.
One of the common legends states that Valentine was a priest that served in third century Rome. At the time, Emperor Claudius II declared that single males made superior soldiers than did those who had wives and children and he outlawed marriage for all young men in order to optimize his potential army of soldiers. Valentine immediately realized the injustice in this declaration and continued to perform marriages in secret ceremonies, which was in direct defiance of Emperor Claudius II.
Upon learning of Valentine's actions, the Emperor immediately had him put to death.
There are additional stories surrounding Valentine that suggest he was killed for attempting to assist Christians in escaping Roman prisons where they were often tortured and beaten. If one particular legend holds true, Valentine himself sent the first ever "valentine" greeting.
It is believed that Valentine fell in love with a jailer's daughter while in prison. The girl had visited Valentine in jail, during which time Valentine fell deeply in love with her. It is thought that before his death, Valentine sent her a letter that he signed "From Your Valentine".
By the time of Valentine's death and subsequent sainthood, he was one of the most popular legends in England and France during the Middle Ages.
The early pastors of Roman Christian churches used St. Valentine's Day as the day young men chose maidens from the congregation as potential brides. Since that time there have been many traditions that have become an important part of Valentine's Day. Cards, gifts, and the promise of eternal love are the most common way that we express our feelings on this very special day each year. In the United States, the first commercially printed Valentine's Day cards began appearing in the early 1800s. Since that time, Valentine's Day has become a highly profitable business in which millions of dollars are spent each year.
While we enjoy and anticipate Valentine's Day and the gifts we will give and receive, it is important to remember that this very special day originated with no gifts whatsoever, but rather an promise of eternal love and happiness that cost nothing at all.
About The Author:
www.RomanceYourHusband.com is a website dedicated to helping married couples stay friends and to help them remember why they married each other in the first place. Our disclaimer is: If he’s a jerk, this won’t work. But, if he’s sweet, rub his feet. Stop by for free tips and ideas to Romance Your Husband today!
by Nicole Dean on 2007-09-22
Each February, in places around the world, friends exchange flowers, gifts, and candy in celebration of Valentine's Day. The name of St. Valentine is known across the globe as a patron saint. Most of us however, do not know the true origin of St. Valentine and how this special day came to be. What we do know is that February is the month of romance. As we know it today, St. Valentine's Day contains elements of both ancient Roman and Christian traditions. The Catholic Church recognizes at least three martyred saints names Valentine or Valentineus.
One of the common legends states that Valentine was a priest that served in third century Rome. At the time, Emperor Claudius II declared that single males made superior soldiers than did those who had wives and children and he outlawed marriage for all young men in order to optimize his potential army of soldiers. Valentine immediately realized the injustice in this declaration and continued to perform marriages in secret ceremonies, which was in direct defiance of Emperor Claudius II.
Upon learning of Valentine's actions, the Emperor immediately had him put to death.
There are additional stories surrounding Valentine that suggest he was killed for attempting to assist Christians in escaping Roman prisons where they were often tortured and beaten. If one particular legend holds true, Valentine himself sent the first ever "valentine" greeting.
It is believed that Valentine fell in love with a jailer's daughter while in prison. The girl had visited Valentine in jail, during which time Valentine fell deeply in love with her. It is thought that before his death, Valentine sent her a letter that he signed "From Your Valentine".
By the time of Valentine's death and subsequent sainthood, he was one of the most popular legends in England and France during the Middle Ages.
The early pastors of Roman Christian churches used St. Valentine's Day as the day young men chose maidens from the congregation as potential brides. Since that time there have been many traditions that have become an important part of Valentine's Day. Cards, gifts, and the promise of eternal love are the most common way that we express our feelings on this very special day each year. In the United States, the first commercially printed Valentine's Day cards began appearing in the early 1800s. Since that time, Valentine's Day has become a highly profitable business in which millions of dollars are spent each year.
While we enjoy and anticipate Valentine's Day and the gifts we will give and receive, it is important to remember that this very special day originated with no gifts whatsoever, but rather an promise of eternal love and happiness that cost nothing at all.
About The Author:
www.RomanceYourHusband.com is a website dedicated to helping married couples stay friends and to help them remember why they married each other in the first place. Our disclaimer is: If he’s a jerk, this won’t work. But, if he’s sweet, rub his feet. Stop by for free tips and ideas to Romance Your Husband today!
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