The True Story of Valentine


February starts and suddenly the city starts to get romantic. Hearts decorating dressers, balloons and roses in stores, the color red everywhere, dazed eyes, bright smiles; Valentine's Day is approaching. But as all this, who this Valentine? Why February 14th is a special day of love? Who came up? Well, here's the story.


Although there is a clear debate among historians about the identity of Valentine, the best known version is that it was a famous priest who lived in Rome and was executed on the orders of Emperor Claudius II on February 14, 270 AD. At that time the Roman Empire was in decline and increasing the armed forces was the main task. So the emperor created a law that prohibited marriage for young soldiers, as it was felt that married life decreased their skills in combat and courage.

Valentine began performing Christian marriages clandestinely until it was discovered and captured. According to historical documents, the holy met Claudio II and they entered into a discussion about religion. As much as he was threatened with death, Valentine never recanted their beliefs so eventually he was beheaded.

Throughout the Middle Ages and the rise of courtly love, which is treated as the previous code of romance with couples relate today, Valentine became an increasingly important subjects, mainly in France and England.

In the 19th century the custom of Valentine's Day immigrated to America via the US as a woman the first to see in this tradition an excellent business opportunity. In 1847 Esther Howland began selling the "valentines" greeting cards commemorating the day of love and friendship.

From the eighties, the festival began expanding its horizons to increasingly sophisticated gifts, starting with flowers and chocolates to reach adorable diamonds. Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, each year sold about one billion cards, which are acquired by 85 percent by women.

Although in 1969 the Vatican withdrew February 14 the Catholic calendar as the official celebration of Saint Valentine, considering that knew too little about his life and miracles, the reality is that the character's popularity has increased over the years. And the Valentine has ceased to be a religious event to become a fundamental element of popular culture.

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