Rachel Robinson, Charger Staff
It’s hard to believe, but Valentine’s Day has been around for centuries.
In fact, Rome during the fifth century celebrated a similar holiday called the
Lupercian Festival, which was celebrated during the middle of February. This
festival was an ode to the god of fertility and a celebration of sensual pleasure.
Also during this time, young people were supposed to search for a prospective
mate. So why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day differently than those of
the fifth century?
Although the story varies, most historians think that during 496 A.D. Pope
Gelasius outlawed the Pagan festival Lupercasa and replaced it with one "morally
suitable." He replaced it with a similar celebration, but instead of using
a pagan god, Pope Gelasius chose martyred Bishop Valentine.
BishopValentine was beheaded for helping young lovers marry against the wishes
of the mad Emperor Claudius. While Bishop Valentine was awaiting his execution,
he fell in love with his jailer’s daughter. When it came time for him to
be taken to his execution, the bishop wrote his love a final note and signed
it “From your Valentine.” This phrase has stuck and become very popular
on many of today’s Valentine cards.
And, although historians can’t agree on how Valentine’s Day got started, most of them agree on one thing: Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate true love.
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