Let’s Talk Valentines Day… The History

Oh the day of love is only a month away!! Do you even know why we do this or how it got started?

I mean, besides Valentines Day being over commercialized to sell candy and flowers... It all started because of a Roman Priest whose last name indeed was...St. Valentine(quick note... My grand father in law's name is Valentine... weird EH?). Not sure what you've heard, whether it be the story of the love between him and a blind girl or the one about him dying for her... Welp, a little research and I got the real story for you...Here we go Father Frank O'Gara of Whitefriars Street Church in Dublin, Ireland explains of an era when an emperor by the name of Claudias made the marriage of young people illegal because he wanted a strong army. Now what does marriage and a fighting mass of men have in common? Cludius believed that a young unmarried soldier would naturally fight harder and better. he feared that a happily married soldier might be afraid of dying or dismemberment, or they may be scared of the plight of their wives and children if they perished in war.

Now...the church thought otherwise. Marriage was encouraged at that time by the teachers an preachers of the Christian faith. Polygamy was widespread inside St. Valentines own home kingdom. Valentines "job" was to teach to anyone who was interested in converting to Christianity that marriage was a sacred joining of one man and one woman for life.

So, St. Valentine began to secretly, and illegally marry young couples in the church at night. Valentine was eventually caught, thrown in jail and tortured for performing the marriage ceremonies against command of Emperor Claudius(2nd).

In 269 AD, Valentine was sentenced to a three part execution.

Part #1: Beating
Part #2:Stoning
Part #3:Decapitation.

Just for standing up for the Holy Bibles definition of Christian marriage.

Now... THE BLIND GIRL.

She was the daughter of one of the judges that played a role in the sentencing of Three Part Execution. The judges daughter was indeed blind but after several trips to see St. Valentine and some work to help her concentrate on focusing her vision, some of her sight began to restore! The judge was so thankful and amazed at the work St. Valentine had done with his daughter HE HIMSELF converted to Christianity! St. Valentine was still sentenced to death anyway... The story says that St Valentine wrote one last letter to the girl. Before his execution, signing it: "From your Valentine" sending all hopeless romantic masses into never ending swirls of mushy-ness.

Now if you stuck with me through all that... Who cares about candy and flowers..

GO HELP A BLIND KID!