A Little History on Valentine's Day
St. Valentine - the official unofficial Saint.
Apparently, Valentine was a common moniker among Saints way back around 270 A.D.
Apparently 2 men were martyred, more than likely beheaded - on February 14, 270 A.D.
Legend has it that THE St. Valentine that is now celebrated still on that very day was put to death for secretly marrying soldiers. The Roman Emperor at the time thought single men made better soldiers and forbade them from marrying. So, St. Valentine would marry them in secret. When he was found out, he was put to death. Some tales tell that he was in love with the Emperors daughter and before his head was cut off, he wrote her a note and closed it with the phrase "From, your Valentine". A gesture that has been immortalized, and used as one of the most common associations with romance for how many centuries now?
Since the church could not decipher which of 2 men St. Valentine really was, they discontinued literature mentioning (him/them) in 1969, making him officially unofficial.
If you are not into roses and chocolates and refer to Valentine's Day as a Hallmark Holiday - here is a fun tid-bit! Hallmark was founded in 1915 by Nebraska teenager Joyce Hall. She began selling greeting cards and post cards out of 2 shoe boxes. Today Hallmark cards are available in 30 languages in 100 countries. Clever business girl! She built her own empire.
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