SAINT VALENTINE

Saint Valentine's Day is considered the day of love and is celebrated throughout the world.  Some couples enjoy romantic dinners, while others offer gifts such as beautiful bouquets, chocolates, perfumes or jewellery. February 14th is the perfect day, to express and demonstrate how  much your loved ones are loved and appreciated.

Legend has it that February has always been considered the month of lovers since ancient times. Another popular notion during the Middle Ages might be related to the fact that it was known as the month lovebirds begin to mate. The reason for this assumption is not clear but it might be that the warbling of the first songbirds after a long winter started sometime in mid-February.

The history and origin of its patron Saint Valentine are shrouded in mystery. Saint Valentine was thought to be a Roman priest and a physician who suffered martyrdom during the persecution of Christians by the Roman Emperor Claudius II Gothicus about 270 in the third century.

Emperor Claudius II Gothicus was renowned as being a tyrant because he engaged in many bloody and violent wars which resulted in many married men avoiding joining the military.The emperor believed this was due to the fact that men did not want to leave their wives and families and go to war in case they died. To erase this issue he prohibited the marriage of young people in Rome. This was based on the hypothesis that unmarried soldiers fought better than those that were married.

When the priest named Valentine heard of this, he felt it unjust as he believed deeply in the vowels of love and matrimony. The brave priest defied the emperor’s orders and secretly married couples to spare the husbands from war.

When Claudius II Gothicus became aware of these secret marriages he decided to put the priest Valentine in prison and then to execute him. During Valentine's time in prison, he befriended his jailer's daughter whereupon he became very close to her, maybe even falling in love. Just before his execution, he left her a note that was signed “From your Valentine".

Saint Valentine sacrificed his life so that couples could be joined together in holy matrimony. The Catholic Church granted him sainthood and chose February 14th as the day to honour him with celebration and feasts.

Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine is also celebrated by passing the message of love through hand-written Valentine cards proving to your loved ones how much you care about them.

“Enjoy this Valentine's Day by showing them all, how special they are, no matter the (social) distance, Love is the glue that holds us together and keeps us smiling every day of the year.”