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By Kelly (Age 17, USA)
Disclaimer: There are many different versions of precisely how V-day began. But this is a widely accepted version, part history, part cutesy. This is not going to be your average history lesson. It's actually more of a love story, and it can officially fall second to Romeo and Juliet. But before we can get to the beautiful short story that is Valentine's Day, we gotta go back a bit quite a bit. Definitely not February, 14th, 2009. Stick with me here. A pagan tradition was held by the Romans in mid-February in celebration to a god named Lupercus. And here's how the Romans got down: a lottery. Every young fella could draw a name of a ready-for-courting teenage girl from a big ol' box. Whatever young girl the boy got at random, he was assigned to her until the following February. It was like kind of like speed dating, but way less awkward. Obviously, the Romans knew how to commemorate a god. However, the latest pope (Gelasius) did not approve of the pagan festival. Gelasius changed up the rules of the lottery. Instead, both boys and girls could choose from the box. The catch: the box contained the names of saints instead of people. The object of the game was to worship the saint specifically that you had drawn out of the box. Young Roman men were infuriated at their new lack of ladies. The Romans were in a pickle. Their old celebration wasn't accepted and they had a whole bunch of opposition against them. The plot thickens... So instead of celebrating the pagan god Lupercus, they set out for a better role model. Preferably, a saint. ...Literally. The “individuals of exceptional holiness who are important in many religions, particularly Christianity”, to quote the reliable Wikipedia.com. They settled on Saint Valentine, a saint of love. The man also happened to have a rather tragic story. Back in AD 2070, Valentine's era, there was an emperor by the name of Claudius. Claudius is the green grinch of Valentine's Day. Emporer Claudius decided the importance of soldiers was far more important than love. Good ol' Claud decided married men made terrible soldiers, so he “canceled” all marriages and engagements. Here's where Valentine comes in (*insert cheers and applause here*). Any young man and women that came to him in secret, he would marry them. How romantic is that? Imagine being in an illegal and forbidden ceremony with the man of your dreams. So totally mushy. After awhile, Claudius soon enough found out about Valentine's operation. The emperor attempted to convert Valentine into paganism. But then Valentine began playing Claudius' game, trying to convert Claudius himself. The emperor was irritated and sent Valentine to prison. There, Valentine fell in love. What an unlikely place, right? Never the less, he fell in love with the blind daughter of his own jailer. It's said that his passion and love for her even managed to heal her of her blindness. Claudius reached the end of his rope, and had Valentine killed. Before he was beheaded, he wrote a message saying goodbye to the jailer's daughter and signed it with“From your Valentine.” When the Romans decided on this saint to represent love, men wrote out long admiring letters to their crushes, always containing the word “Valentine”. It wasn't long before cards were sent, beginning in 1415. Charles, the duke of Orleans, decided to send one to his wife while he was imprisoned (they all had tragic stories back then). Cupid became another symbol for V-day later on, as the baby is a representation of the son of Venus. Venus is the Roman god of love and beauty. The nude child seems to adorn a lot of V-day paraphernalia with a little bow and arrow, shooting hearts to make love come alive. Valentine's Day... These Days:
Valentine's Day is still a very popular holiday in grade school. Most students decorate a shoebox with a slit on the top for students to drop their valentines in. Valentine's Day was an especially important school holiday in the 1930s-1950s. Little girls adorned in dresses, bows, and curls. Little boys in their "Sunday best". Read a cute account from a group of grade school boys and what they thought of Valentine's Day: "Valentine's Day In Grade School, 1950's Style". Another good V-day story is from a blog titled Lillian's Cupboard. She illustrates what one of her Valentine's was like in the days of World War II: "Valentine's Day in the 1940s". Enjoy “heart” day, whether it be spent with your boyfriend, best friends, or family! Quick Gifts, Party Themes, and Tips:
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