The real St. Valentine(s)

So, time for a trivia lesson.

There were at least 10 people who were canonized named valentine, valenitinian and other such derivatives.

The one the feast day we 'celebrate' today was made after was St. Valentine of Rome. He died in 269 AD, so he is a very very early saint of the church. Now legends and miracles aside, he was canonized as a martyr. He was arrested by Emperor Claudius II and imprisoned. The story is that he gained favour with the emperor, but would not give up his faith, so the emperor had him clubbed and stoned. When this failed to kill him, he was beheaded outside the falminian gate.

This particular St. Valentine is known to have existed, as his relics are in the church of St. Praxedes. As well, archeologists have found a catacomb and church dedicated to him in Rome.

So where does our current celebrations come from?

Well, around the same time, the pagans would hold a ceremony for the goddess Juno Februata (also who the month february is named after) in which boys and girls would draw each others names, and then be sexually partnered for a year. St. Valentine Christianized this by having them draw the names of saints, and your goal was to try to live the virtue of that saint for the year. In the 14th century they went back to drawing names, although less of a lewd tradition, more of a romantic one. In the 16th century there was an attempt which failed, to go back to saints again.

So today we honour an early martyr. And if you are asking someone to be your valentine, remeber, it means either you want to 'couple' with them for a year from that day, or you are holy enough that you want them to emulate your saintly behavior.

See now isn't that fun?