ORIGIN OF VALENTINES DAY

                   photo from candyaddict.com

This month, love is in the air in many places in the world. It is the season of love. The month of romance specially to those who are in intimate relationship. People are giving gifts such as flowers, chocolates, candies and cards to their love ones. This is all because of Valentine's Day. It was actually Saint Valentine's Day but later on shortened to simply Valentine's day. 
Who is Saint Valentine and why do we celebrate it on February 14? 
There were numerous legends as to who is really St. Valentine. There are some who believe that he is a Christian priest who performed many miracles and because of his beliefs and teachings,  he was imprisoned and later on beheaded on February 14.

*Valentine of Rome - a priest in Rome who was martyred in 269 AD and was buried at Via Flaminia. 
*Valentine of Terni -  once a bishop in Interamna (know today as Terni) in 197 AD. He was persecuted under the Aurelian empire. He was also buried in Via Flaminia. 
In 14th Century, distinctions between the two martyrs were lost.  In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius I declared February 14 as Valentine's day but Pope Paul VI remove it from the Roman Calendar of Saints though its religious observance is still allowed.There were some who believes that these were just made by the Catholic church who looked for a suitable patron to replace Lupercus, a pagan god  of ancient Romans. Prior to the celebration of Valentine's day, a pagan festival already exist and was celebrated on February 13 to 15 to turn away evil spirits and purify their city and for health and fertility. The celebration is named Lupercalia named after Lupercus.
But whatever its origin, we all know that February 14 is Heart's day or a special day for those who were in love. 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

(sources: history.com, wikipedia)