reflection

VALENTINE’S DAY

Every February 14th, candy, flowers, gifts are exchanged between lovers, all in the name of Saint Valentine. But, who is St. Valentine and why do we celebrate this day? There are some stories about it. One of them, which is the best known, began in Rome. At that time the emperor of Rome was Cladius 2. He was involved in many fighting bloody campaigns. He had difficult time getting soldiers to join his army. He believed that men did not want to leave their families and lovers, so he thought the reason was. Therefore, he cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. Saint Valentine was a priest in Rome in the year 269 A.D. He defied Cladius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers secretly. But, unfortunately, Valentine’s action was discovered and he was sent to the prison to be sentenced and to have his head cut off. He tried to stay cheerful and different things were happened. Many young people went to jail to visit him. They threw flowers and notes up to his window. They wanted him to know that they believed in love, too. One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit him in the cell. Sometimes they sit and talked for hours. She wanted to help him to keep his spirits keep up. She thought that Valentine did the right thing by ignoring the emperor’s law. On the day Valentine was to die he left her friend a little not thanking her for friendship and loyalty. He signed it: “Love from your Valentine.” It is believed that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine’s Day. It was written on the day he died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now every year people celebrate this day although most of them do not know the history. They think about love and friendship.