The History of Valentine's Day

So...since this day of love is upon us I thought it only necessary that someone research WHY this holiday is celebrated and WHERE it came from! This is a very quick post so...let's hope the information is accurate...haha...

Basically...in a nutshell...Valentine's Day is named after a bishop, named St. Valentine, who married Roman soldiers secretly, against Emperor Claudius II's wishes. This was during a time when the Roman empire was in great distress while trying to fight off enemies from all sides. Emperor Claudius II issued a law forbidding soldiers to be wed, because he believed it made them weak. The soldiers, when thinking of marriage, would seek out St. Valentine, who did not agree with this decree, and marry them in secret.

Eventually the secret became known, and he was executed on Feb. 14, 270 AD. But, not before he signed a letter to his dear friend, and signed it "From Your Valentine." There are two versions of this story that differ in certain areas, but these are the few areas that they agree on.

Some of us have mixed feelings of this holiday...growing up I never really liked it, having been dumped on and right before the holiday over and over...BUT...the older I get the more I appreciate it and the more I appreciate love itself.

No, I'm not great at giving gifts...ask my family :) But, I hope I get better at showing my love and affection.

In closing I just want to share this wonderful poem...for those of you down in the dumbs during this day of celebration and adoration...


Oh Me! Oh Life!

Oh me! O life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless traines of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the
foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish
than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the
struggle ever renew’d
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I
see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me
intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring–What good amid these,
O me, O life?

Answer.

That you are here–that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.

by Walt Whitman

I absolutely LOVE this poem. It's poignant and meaningful. Life is wonderful! We MUST embrace it.