True Valentine

Valentine’s Day, a commercialized day of candy, overpriced flowers and restaurants draped in red? Or is Valentine’s Day truly a day for kindling and rekindling love?
What most people do not know is that Valentine’s Day has a much deeper meaning.
Valentine’s Day was originally a Catholic tradition honoring the patron saint of lovers, St. Valentine.
Valentine was a bishop in the Catholic Church who was martyred in the third century AD.
In 270 AD, Claudius, Emperor of Rome outlawed marriage believing that married men made bad soldiers. Because of Valentine’s beliefs in his religion he continued to marry couples in secret and was arrested.
While Valentine was in prison he corresponded with those on the “outside” by sending small love notes and ending each with “From Your Valentine.” When called to renounce his religion and his beliefs Valentine refused and was clubbed, stoned, and then beheaded in February 270 AD.
His feast day was later placed in the middle of February to replace the pagan holiday of the god Lupercus.
This is only a brief glimpse of the origin of the tradition of sending Valentine’s Day cards during the middle of February to loved ones.
Today Valentine’s Day has been so over-commercialized by greeting card companies and the candy industry, it has all but been consumed into a layer of chocolate covered superficalness.
Whole aisles in supermarkets, toy stores, and greeting card stores are jammed packed with boxes of candy and stuffed animals saying “Will you be mine?,” “I Love You” or some other various love filled message.
People put so much importance in the day that those who do not have that “special” someone develop a type of distaste for the 14th.
Not that I’m saying that those who do have someone special should not buy that box of chocolates or those silk boxer shorts with the little hearts on them and feel sorry for the group left out of the day’s festivities. What I am saying is that, there is more to the day than just red roses and teddy bears. Valentine’s Day is a day of love. No matter what kind of love it is.
So if you’re single, or even if you have that special someone in your life already, remember to spread that Valentine’s Day spirit with everyone.
If for you that means sending that extra card to your mom, revealing those long hidden feelings to someone or even picking up a box of chocolates for your little sister, spread it.