For centuries, Valentine’s Day has been celebrated by thousands of people. There are many different stories as to how the holiday was established.
Valentine’s Day dates all the way back to the time of the Roman Empire, specifically during the reign of Claudius II in 270 AD. The emperor didn’t want men to marry during time of war, stating that men made better soldiers when they were single.
One man thought otherwise; his name was Bishop Valentine.Valentine would perform secret wedding ceremonies for soldiers and their brides. When Emperor Claudius II found out, Valentine was fined and later executed on Feb. 14.
While Valentine was imprisoned, he wrote a letter addressed to the jailer’s daughter. He signed the letter “From your Valentine.”
Even though this occurred in 270 AD, it wasn’t until England’s King Henry VII officially declared Feb. 14 the holiday of St. Valentine’s Day in 1537.
It is believed that in the Middle Ages, young women and men would draw names from a bowl to see who their Valentines were. Once they drew the names they would pin the name to their sleeve for one week allowing everyone to see who their Valentines was. This is also where the expression “to wear your heart on your sleeve” came from.
Of course we couldn’t talk about Valentine’s Day without mentioning Romeo and Juliet, one of the greatest love stories ever written or so some claim. Every Valentine’s Day in the Italian City of Verona, where Shakespeare’s lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, about 1,000 letters are received addressed to Juliet herself.
Today people have lost track of the true meaning of Valentine’s Day. “I don’t mind it but I don’t see why everyone needs to make a big deal out of it,” freshman Tori Marshall said.
Even though Valentine’s Day has lost some of the meaning it used to have people are still celebrating the holiday every year.
Approximately 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year. According to www.theromantic.com, 110 million roses are sold and delivered in a three-day period surrounding Feb. 14, the vast majority of which are red. Of those 110 million, 73 percent are purchased by men, and only 27 percent are purchased by women.