Happy Valentine’s Day.
As a kid, I recall offering a piece of candy with the works “Will you be mine, Valentine?” to a female classmate (that I had an eye for). As I aged and matured, the Valentine’s Day gift became more expensive. According to a report by A. Seipel for NPR (Feb. 13, 2011), a market research firm estimated that Valentine’s Day sales total over 18.6 billion dollars (in 2011).
Give some credit to Hallmark Cards of Kansas City, Mo., who began mass producing valentine’s card in 1913.
Who was Valentine and why did he/she get credit for the holiday that celebrates romantic love? A religious man named Valentine ran afoul of the Roman Emperor, Claudius II, in the 3rd century for performing marriages. This would otherwise be alright except a married man got a deferral from military conscription. Emperor Claudius wanted every good man for military service and Valentine ‘s marrying days were over on Feb. 13 when the Emperor had him killed.
(Valentine was later canonized by the Catholic church as a Saint, hence St. Valentine).
A Roman pagan ritual called the Feast of Lupercalia had existed and was celebrated also around Feb. 13. I will not go into any details about this drunken revel except to say that Pope Gelasius in the 5th century pronounced Feb. 13 as St. Valentine’s Day to expel the practices of the Feast of Lupercalia.
Shakespeare is generally considered an influence in the notion of romantic love that carried over into the New World (e.g. Romeo & Juliet and Midsummer Night’s Dream)
My valentine, VVT, and I will be enjoying a good meal with some lobster for the occasion. Enjoy the day your way. President David Miller
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