The Legend of St. Valentine

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. We’ll be celebrating it on February 14. Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate God’s love for us. Christian homeschool students should reflect that perfect love in the love that they share with others. Many people practice the traditions of Valentine’s Day while giving little thought to the background and traditions of this storied holiday. Let’s take a closer look at the origins.

The holiday is named after one of several men who share the name and title St. Valentine. No one is quite sure why St. Valentine is linked to the modern holiday, but we have several theories. The Roman Catholic Church celebrated his martyrdom with the Feast of Saint Valentine. It has been hypothesized that St. Valentine defied an official decree in Ancient Rome by marrying couples during wartime. This would explain his associate with romantic love. Others believe that this is a fabrication used by greeting card manufacturers to get Americans to buy more products.

It is clear that February has been linked with love from very ancient civilizations such as the Greeks and Romans. Fertility festivals such as Lupercalia were celebrated during the month of February. This continued through the Middle Ages, when our modern idea of chivalric and romantic love thrived.

Because the links between St. Valentine and our modern American holiday are so unclear, many believe that Valentine’s Day is simply an excuse for confectioners, florists, and greeting card manufacturers to guilt people into buying gifts for their loved ones. This is partially true. A similar phenomenon occurred with the Christmas season. Many are unaware that Coca-Cola Christmas advertising did much to shape our popular perception of Santa Clause. Greeting card companies and others have done much the same with Cupid, little pink and red hearts, and more.

Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling mother, writer, children’s rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of home education company Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of 28 years reside with their 8 children right outside Philadelphia, PA.

Rothschild launched Learning By Grace, Inc. because she believed that our nation’s public school system has failed parents and students. Learning By Grace, Inc. offers online education through a multimedia-rich curriculum to PreK-12 children across the country and throughout the world.

An accomplished author, Rothschild has written books regarding education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Daily Education News Feed consists of articles and essays dealing with alternative learning methods.

Article from articlesbase.com

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W926 Postcard John Winsch St. Valentine's Day c.1910 embossed gold highlights