St. Valentine, he loved, then he lost his head.

Reports speak on St. Valentine that he was a Roman priest and doctor who was mayrtered while the oppression of Christians by Claudius II was going on, cir. 270. He was laid to rest on the Via Flaminia, and Pope Julius supposedly had a basilica constructed over his grave.

Stories identify this glorious man as the bishop of Terni, Italy, who was martyred, also in Rome, and whose artifacts were later brought to Terni. Keep in mind that the stories come from a very long time ago, in our past and there may be different versions of where he was buried and such.

As stated by legend, “St. Valentine signed a letter *from your Valentine* to his prison officer’s daughter, a grateful lady he had become very close with and *healed from blindness.* Another common myth explains that he went against the emperor’s wants and clandestinely married couples to spare the husbands from war.

All in the name Of ❤️ LOVE

But wait it gets better. According to www.history.com, “On February 14, around the year 270 A.D., Valentine, a holy priest in Rome in the days of Emperor Claudius II, is said to have been executed. Under the rule of Claudius the Cruel, Rome was involved in many unpopular and bloody campaigns. The emperor had to maintain a strong army, but was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. Claudius believed that Roman men were unwilling to join the army because of their strong attachment to their wives and families. To get rid of the problem, Claudius banned all marriages and engagements in Rome. 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. Valentine was arrested and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. The sentence was carried out on February 14, on or about the year 270.”

History dictates differences on how the martyr’s name became connected with romance and such. The date of his death may have become Merged with the *Feast of Lupercalia*, Which is apagan holy day of love. On these Instances, names of young women and girls were placed in a small box. Then the men would reach into the box and whoever they pulled out was who they ended up with as fate would have it. In 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius decides Thought it would be better to put an end to the Feast of Lupercalia, and he Proclaimed that February 14 be celebrated as St. Valentine’s Day. Hence Valentine’s Day being on 14 February, every year. There’s some other really cool things about Saint Valentine in the history behind the name. The St. Valentine who inspired the holiday may have been two different Due to of the Likenesses of these Historical notations, it’s easy go combine the stories and they may refer to the same man. So much Uncertainty surrounds the true identity of St. Valentine that the Catholic Church stopped all Ceremonial validation of him in 1969, However his name is still on its list of officially canonized saints, YAY for St. Valentine!!! Actually, when you get down to Nitty-gritty there are abound a dozen St. Valentines, there is even a pope. There’s more coolness just wait… he is the patron saint of beekeepers and epilepsy, among many other things. He saw over the sainthood of the bubonic plague, fainting, I had no idea there was a saint for fainting, and traveling. Enter no surprise of minehe’s the patron saint of engaged couples and happy marriages. How freaking sweet.

His skull that is embellished with flowers in the Basilica in Rome , but to Find the rest of his pits and pieces you have to go to the Czech Republic Scotland Ireland as well asRome. You can choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day on seven or eight different occasions during the year, November 3 is one of those dates. Or You can beat the Rush of on Valentine gifts by celebrating St. Valentine of Raetia on January 7. All my fellow feminists might pick July 25 to pay tribute to the ONLY female St. Valentine (Valentina), a young virgin martyred in Palestine on, A.D. 308. Then we have the official Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates St. Valentine twice, once as a wise man and teacher of the faith on July 6, and then as a martyr on July 30.

One of the coolest things I’ve come to know about the holiday Valentine’s Day is that the most amazing English poet, One of my absolute favorites, Geoffrey Chaucer, may have actually helped to originate the holiday Valentine’s Day. The, I’m my opinion, cooler medieval English poet took much writing freedom with history, putting his poetic characters into fictitious historical Situations that HE DELIVERED as real. There is no record that has ever been found to explain the creation of romantic celebrations on Valentine’s Day. Before the poem Chaucer wrote in about 1375. In his work

“Parliament of Foules,” when this poem was published the accolades it got helped to imply that the reasoning behind this celebration was romantic. The poem merely mentions February 14th as the day birds (and us human beings) join in with one another to find The version of their person, or bird I guess. Chaucer wrote in his prom,

“For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate,” so it goes to show how this romantic little sneak may have invented the Materialistic, romantic, chocolate filled holiday we know presently.

Personally, IA hated Valentine’s Day for a very long time. For many reasons I believed that I had to have a date, or some thing to fill my void when I was alone on this day. Today I look back and wonder how much time I wasted trying to do something on Valentine’s Day with someone I may not of even liked, just to avoid being alone. Today I see Valentine’s Day as a way to treat myself, this morning I got up and did a little self-love practice of yoga and when I meditated it was my practice to think about all of the people I love positively and pray that they are given themselves a little love too. We live in a world of mass destruction, pandemic and social crisis, what better way to recognize love by looking into your own heart and giving yourself a little bit of grace. Even if just for one day. OK I’ll hop off my soapbox, go buy chocolate, have some dinner with someone you love, I think I’m gonna bake cookies with my daughter and donate some things to a homeless shelter. Anyway you can find a way to use love, as the great teacher Buddha once said,

“If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” So sit down take some time do what you love, and love yourself. In the end it will all be worth it. I hope you have a very lovable day, best health and be well.

Wonder