A
feast that has nothing to do with the traditional calendar but gets
more and more popular lately. There are varying opinions as to the
origin of Valentine's Day. Some experts state that it originated from
Saint Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up
Christianity. He died on February 14, 269 A.D., the same day that had
been devoted to love lotteries. Legend also says that Saint Valentine
left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter, who had become his
friend, and signed it "From Your Valentine". Other aspects of the
story say that Saint Valentine served as a priest at the temple during
the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius then had Valentine jailed for
defying him. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honour
St. Valentine.
Gradually, February 14 became the date for exchanging
love messages and Saint Valentine became the patron saint of lovers.
The date was marked by sending poems and simple gifts such as flowers.
There was often a social gathering or a ball.
Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman
Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honour Juno,
the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as
the Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th,
began the Feast of Lupercalia. The lives of young boys and girls were
strictly separate. However, one of the customs of the young people was
name drawing. On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of
Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each
young man would draw a girl's name from the jar and would then be
partners for the duration of the festival with the girl whom he chose.
Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and
often, they would fall in love and would later marry.
Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved
in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having
a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He
believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave
their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages
and engagements in Rome. The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome
in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian
martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint
Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who
condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head
cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, about the
year 270. At that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient
custom, indeed, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia,
feasts in honour of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a
variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a
box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed.
The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome
endeavoured to do away with the pagan element in these feasts by
substituting the names of saints for those of maidens. And as the
Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors appear to
have chosen Saint Valentine's Day for the celebration of this new
feast. So it seems that the custom of young men choosing maidens for
valentines, or saints as patrons for the coming year, arose in this
way.
Name day of everyone named Valentin, Valentina, Valya.
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PEACE HAVENS of BULGARIA
