Happy Valentine’s Day from everyone at Sign2Day!
Did You Know?:
The history of the story of the patron saint– for which Valentine’s Day is named — is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.
The Catholic Church recognizes several 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 under Emperor Claudius II. He decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages in secret. Claudius ordered that Valentine be put to death after his actions were discovered.
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, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl, who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today.