|
The history of Valentine's Day has been a mystery till date. No one till
present knows the correct information about the history and origin of Valentines
Day. There are a number of legends surrounding Valentines' Day history. Most of
these stories about Valentine's Day history have been passed on through the
generations. Hence, there is bound to be some additions and deletions. We bring
you various legends regarding the mysterious past of Valentine's Day.
One of the most popular stories is that Valentine was one of the early
Christians in those days when danger and death went hand in hand. He was
detained for helping some Christians who were trying to escape from the prisons
where they were tortured like animals. Valentine was hauled before the Emperor
of Rome and was ordered to be put in jail. There, he alleviated the jail
keeper's daughter of loss of sight. When the pitiless emperor came to know about
this phenomenon, he gave orders of beheading Valentine. He is said to have sent
the keeper's daughter a farewell message signed, "from your Valentine", morning
of the execution.
Another legend and a paradox is that three Saint Valentines have been mentioned
in the early list of martyrs under the date of 14th February. One is supposed to
be a priest in Rome, another is said to be the Bishop of Interamna (now in
Italy) and the third one lived and died in Africa. The Bishop of Interamna is
the most popular modern Saint. He was a Christian martyr who lived in northern
Italy and was martyred on 14th February around the third century following the
orders of emperor Claudius for breaching the outlaw on Christianity. Despite the
fact that Valentine of Interamna and Valentine of Rome have different entries in
martyrologies and biographies, most scholars deem they are the same person.
|