Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone. In the past I’ve often discussed how teachers receive more valentines than anyone else, how roses are the favorite gift and how chocolate became a food for lovers and things like that. I’ve even mentioned that no one really knows how the February 14 celebration got to where it is today.
I think it’s generally acknowledged that there was more than one St. Valentine. The one thing known for certain is that a man named Valentinus was martyred on February 14, late in the third century A.D. But if you start looking for details, it seems that legend supersedes fact.
The Catholic Church officially recognizes a St. Valentine that is known to have been a real person who died somewhere around 270 A.D. His true identity was questioned early on, however, by Pope Gelasius I who referred to the martyr and his acts as “being known only to God.” Anyhow, enough confusion exists about him that the Catholic Church discontinued liturgical veneration of him in 1969. His name does remain on the church’s list of officially recognized saints though.
As I mentioned, there were a number of St. Valentines through the years — even a Pope Valentine that served only 40 days somewhere around 827 A.D.
From what I can tell, saints are expected to keep busy in the afterlife. Some of their duties include interceding in earthly affairs and entertaining petitions from living souls. St. Valentine seems to have plenty to do with a lot of wide-ranging spiritual responsibilities. Not only do people call on him to watch over the lives of lovers, but for interventions regarding beekeeping, epilepsy, the plague, fainting and traveling. Of course, he’s also the patron saint of engaged couples and happy marriages.
No record exists of romantic celebrations on Valentine’s Day prior to a poem (“Parliament of Foules”) written by Geoffrey Chaucer in 1375. The poem links a tradition of courtly love with the celebration of St. Valentine’s feast day — an association that didn’t exist until after his poem was published. The poem refers to February 14 as the day birds (and humans) come together to find a mate. It just may be that Chaucer invented Valentine’s Day as we know it — or, maybe he invented Hallmark.
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Happy Valentine’s Day to you, my love!