1 Comment Written by Ronald on February 14, 2008 – 9:48 pm

Today has been a great day, somewhat a feeling of love in the air.. NOT! But really Valentines Day is always a great day. When you look outside the sky is clear and the sun is shinning, I also noticed the Moon was visible during the day, so it was actually a wonderful day. At least weather wise. I was valentine-less, but it’s not even a REAL holiday so I don’t really care.

In this post I want to let people know the true meaning of Valentines. Since a lot of people don’t really know why we celebrate this day as Valentines. I will now go in depth on the subject.

Little Melissa comes home from first grade and tells her father that they learned about the history of Valentine’s Day. “Since Valentine’s Day is for a Christian saint and we’re Jewish,” she asks, “will God get mad at me for giving someone a Valentine?”

Melissa’s father thinks a bit, then says “No, I don’t think God would get mad. Who do you want to give a Valentine to?”

“Osama Bin Laden,” she says.

“Why Osama Bin Laden?” her father asks, reeling in shock.

“Well,” she says, “I thought that if a little American Jewish girl could have enough love to give Osama a valentine, he might start to think that maybe we’re not all bad, and maybe start loving people a little. And if other kids saw what I did and sent Valentines to Osama, he’d love everyone a lot. And then he’d start going all over the place to tell everyone how much he loved them and how he didn’t hate anyone anymore.”

Her father’s heart swells and he looks at his daughter with new-found pride. “Melissa, that’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever heard!”

“I know,” Melissa says. “And once that gets him out in the open, the Marines could blow the crap out of him!”

NO BUT Seriously…..

When we think of Valentine’s Day, we often think of red roses, candy in heart- shaped boxes, mushy valentines, and winged cherubs flying about shooting starry-eyed lovers with arrows.

But did you know that the origin of Valentine’s Day, or Saint Valentine’s Day, comes from the life and death of a Christian martyr? According to author Martha Zimmerman, the date traditionally celebrated as St. Valentine’s Day finds it origin in the Roman festival of romance called Lupercalia, when the gods Juno and Pan were honored. It was a fertility festival or a lover’s holiday looking forward to the return of Spring. In the fifth century, in an attempt to abolish the pagan festival, Pope Gelasius changed Lupercalia and its February 15 date to February 14 and called it Saint Valentine’s Day. Even though the names and the date were changed, the emphasis continued to be on love.

Who was the real Valentine, and why did he have a day named after him?

Some authorities credit Geoffrey Chaucer with originating the custom of linking Valentine’s Day with lovers. No link between the day and lovers exists before the time of Chaucer, thus leading some to conclude that it was this famous English author who connected the day with lovers. The fullest and earliest description of the tradition occurs in Chaucer’s “Parliament of Fouls” composed around 1380. Since that time it has been traditional to connect St. Valentine’s Day with love.

But who was the real Saint Valentine? St. Valentine was a Roman Christian who, according to tradition, was martyred during the persecution of Christians in the third century by Emperor Claudius II. The only thing certain about the day we remember as St. Valentine’s Day is that it commemorates a martyrdom. Claudius II declared all Christians illegal citizens. By his definition, they were guilty of treason because Roman citizens were required by law to worship the Emperor by declaring publicly, “Caesar is Lord!” Of course, this no Christian could do.

The real Valentine was a Roman Christian martyred during the third century A.D. by the Emperor Claudius II. Prior to his death, Valentine continued to minister in prison by witnessing to his prison guards. One of the guards was a good man who had adopted a blind girl. He asked Valentine if his God could help his daughter. Valentine prayed and the girl was given her sight. The guard and his whole family, 46 people, believed in Jesus and were baptized. When the Emperor heard about this he was furious that Valentine was still making converts even in prison, so he sentenced Valentine to death.

Just before being led out to his execution, the young Christian wrote a note to the jailer’s daughter, signing it, “From your Valentine.” The first valentine was really a Christian witness. Growing out of this story we participate in a custom of sending cards to people we love.

Now most Valentines are envelopes with little red cards inside with a indirect invitation to have sex with someone you think you may like at the least. lol!