Valentine's pagan, polytheistic start
Vernon Meigs
Issue date: 2/13/09 Section: Opinions
The sending of valentines actually does originate from a Christian source, not as a direct foundation as part of the modern holiday but was of value enough to be a part of this tradition. A Christian priest called Valentine was sentenced to death by Emperor Claudius II for performing secret marriages for men who tried to marry in order to dodge the drafts, as only single men were allowed in the Roman army. Before his execution, notes and letters of love were sent to him by young lovers. From this, we can certainly say that Valentine's Day does have a Christian side of the story to contribute to the practices.
Like most pagan traditions we still practice today, the church did not like the holiday of love-making and tried to get rid of it. Again, like most past traditions, they could not entirely eradicate it. What did they do? They developed a tale of martyrdom and faith surrounding it and effectively Christianized the holiday. However, after the Renaissance, when celebrations of love, life and vital existence resurfaced, Valentine's Day was resurged with the theme of expression of love. The commercialization of today has only made it that much more popular, like every other major holiday.
Like most pagan traditions we still practice today, the church did not like the holiday of love-making and tried to get rid of it. Again, like most past traditions, they could not entirely eradicate it. What did they do? They developed a tale of martyrdom and faith surrounding it and effectively Christianized the holiday. However, after the Renaissance, when celebrations of love, life and vital existence resurfaced, Valentine's Day was resurged with the theme of expression of love. The commercialization of today has only made it that much more popular, like every other major holiday.
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