Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day or truly detest it, due to its commercialism, it’s probably crossed your mind at some point this past week. After all, the holiday is pretty much celebrated worldwide with few exceptions. But, where did the holiday come from? Some people call it a Hallmark holiday because of how much merchandise revolves around it. When you think of Valentine’s Day you probably think of boxes of chocolate and candy hearts and all the other junk that is sold in stores. But, it actually has a lot of history to it too. Valentine’s Day has a lot of different origins and people believe different things about the history of it. According to History.com, St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains both Christian and ancient Roman traditions. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with February 14th?
According to History.com, there were at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus and they were all executed. One legend says that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that unmarried men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, recognizing the unfairness of the order, deified Claudius and secretly continued to marry young couples. When his actions were uncovered, Claudius ordered his execution. Some sources, however, claim that it was Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop, who was the true origin of the holiday. He, too, was beheaded by Claudius II just outside Rome.
Other stories suggest that Valentine might have been executed for trying to help Christians escape the brutal Roman prisons, where they were frequently beaten and tortured. One legend even claims that while imprisoned, Valentine sent the first “Valentine” greeting after falling in love with a young girl, possibly the daughter of his jailer who visited him during his time in confinement. Before his death, it is said that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” a phrase still used today. While the details of the Valentine legends remain unclear, they all highlight his image as a compassionate, heroic, and—most notably—romantic figure.
Now that we know the history of it, let’s hear what some Brentwood folk have to say about the holiday. Health Teacher Mr. Gordon shared that he and his fiance don’t always celebrate the holiday on the actual 14th but sometimes a few days after depending on the day it falls on. Whatever day he ends up celebrating it on, he said, “I think that Valentine’s Day is good that you get to spend time with people that you care about.”
Sophomore Ashlyn Wildgrube said that for her, “It depends on the year, like if my friends make plans or if I have a valentine.” She also shared that she thinks, “It’s fun and cute if you’re in a relationship, but it’s kind of sad if you’re not.”
In the end, this holiday is really about all kinds of love. From marrying couples in secret to helping people escape prison, the holiday doesn’t necessarily need to be romantic — it can simply be a day to spend time with friends or family and/ or helping people through acts of love. So, from The Nest to you, we hope this Valentine’s Day can be a day spent with someone you love.
