It’s Tuesday again, and time to curl up in front of your fireplace, especially here in Michigan, with a cup of warm tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. It’s going to be a cold one today. Just watching the snow falling outside is giving me the chills!

Spring . . . Spring . . . Spring . . .! It’s right around the corner. I’m just going to keep believing that!

So to get you extra cozy today, I’m excited to share more about the tradition we will be celebrating, especially Western Europe and America, on Sunday. Of course I’m talking about Valentine’s Day! The history behind this celebrated tradition is sweet enough to warm the coldest heart.

If you followed along the 12 Days of Christmas series, you are aware that many of the celebrations followed in Western European and American culture find their roots in pagan rituals, but were repurposed over the years into a more “religious” representation. So as is custom here at Full Circle Eventi, I will share both stories with you. But I warn you, on this kind of cold day, the second one is much more heartwarming!

Story1

Valentine’s Day has been associated with romantic love. Valentine’s Day originated in pagan times when people celebrated February 14 in honor of Roman God of Fertility. This fertility festival coincided with beginning of the spring and was popularly known as the Feast of Lupercalia. A popular custom of this festival was pairing of young boys and girls for a year through a lottery system. The boys would then wear the name of their drawing on their sleeves during the courtship and the festival events. The pairing of the couples often lasted long after the festival, throughout the year. Often the couples would eventually fall in love and marry.

Story 2

Another story that linked Valentine’s Day festival to the day of romance goes back to the reign of Emperor Claudius II of Rome. A hardhearted king, Claudius constantly engaged Rome in bloody battles. Claudius found it tough to get soldiers for his army and felt that the reason why many men are not willing to become soldiers was their attachment with wives and families. In order to get rid of the cause of the problem, Claudius banned marriages and engagements in Rome. Young men and women found a savior in Saint Valentine, who defied Claudius’s decree and arranged secret marriages. Valentine’s act of defiance was noticed and he was put to death by Claudius on February 14 circa 270 AD. Later, when Christianity spread through Rome, Christian Church decided to turn the popular pagan event as a Christian celebration in honor of St Valentine. St Valentine’s Day festival gradually came to be celebrated as a day to express love for sweethearts.

Let me introduce myself, my name is St Valentine. I lived in Rome during the 3rd century. Rome was ruled at that time by an emperor called Claudius. I didn’t like him and lots of people felt the same as me about him. Claudius wanted to have a large army. Many men did not want to fight in wars. Claudius was furious that the men would not join his army so he had the idea that if they were not married they would not mind joining his army. He decided not to allow any more marriages, people thought this law was cruel and I thought it was awful too and I certainly was not going to support this law.

Did I mention I was a priest? One of my favorite activities was to marry couples. Even after Claudius passed his law I kept on performing marriage ceremonies. The bride, groom and myself would meet secretly in a small candlelit room and whisper the words of the ceremony listening all the while for the steps of soldiers.

One night we did hear footsteps, it was scary! The couple I was marrying escaped in time but I was caught. In prison I tried to stay cheerful and do you know what? Many young people came to visit me. They threw flowers and notes up to my window; they wanted me to know that they too believed in love. One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit me in the cell. We would sit and talk and she helped keep my spirits up. On the day I was to die. I left my friend a little note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. I signed it, “Love from your Valentine”

I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine’s Day it was written on the day I died 14th February 269AD

Valentine’s Day Celebration by Lovers
Elaborate plans are made by lovers to celebrate Valentine’s Day festival in the much-popularized romantic fashion. For some lovers the day begins by whispering ‘I love you’ in the ears of their beloved. The romantic gesture is usually accompanied with an exchange of red roses, chocolates, cards and other gifts. Most lovers plan to spend the entire day in the company of their beloved and celebrate being in love. All around the city, be it parks, mall, restaurants or discotheques one can find couples celebrating the idea of being in love. Such lovey-dovey celebrations often continue till late in the night as several clubs and hotels organize Valentine’s Day balls and dance parties. Those away from their Valentine keep in touch through e-mails and phone. Sending online Valentine’s Day gifts is fast becoming a fad amongst lovers separated by a distance.

Though one may say that love is to be celebrated everyday and not just one day, lovers cherish the fact that there is exclusively a festival that celebrates love and lovers and provides opportunity to pamper their beloved with love.

So in the tradition we all carried on as children, I’ve found some great Valentine’s Day cards to send to your special love one! Some to celebrate the child in all of us, and some not so much for the children! Enjoy!

hello kitty

box, Target; book, The scholastic store

Norma “Crankbunny” Toraya has some wonderful creations in her Etsy store

(place the cutest picture of you two in the heart circle!)

From Zazzle: