The Torch
Winter Edition
History of Valentines Day
BY DANIEL KIM
PRESIDENT
Valentine ' s Day , which comes around every year on the 14th of February , sees couples honour a tradition of love . But who came up with this idea ? Who was the man who started all this ? The real Valentinus was a Roman Priest who lived from AD 226 to AD 269 and was well known for ministering to persecuted Christians . Valentinus met his end on the 14th of February when he was decapitated for treason and buried at a Christian cemetery and this date has been kept for the Feast of St Valentine . Pope Gelasius I inaugurated the day in AD 496 as a tribute to his memory .
Little else is known about Valentinus except that it is thought that he defied Emperor Claudius by performing Christian weddings and even handed out parchment hearts to the people to remind them about the love of God . He also is thought to have delivered letters between jailed lovers in secret . Because of these reasons , he has become to be considered as the patron saint of love and lovers .
Although not many details can be substantiated from the saint ' s life relating to romance , his association with the theme comes more from revisionism during the Middle Ages where the custom of exchanging cards or gifts as tokens of love and affection first took place .
St Valentine ' s skull , which is crowned with flowers , can be viewed at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome . The rest of his bodily remains are retained at St Anton ' s Church in Madrid . The one exception is his heart , which has been held at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin , Ireland where it serves as a pilgrimage site for Christians who are in search of true love .
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