Saint Valentine

Saint Valentine biography allows a peep in to the lives and times of the society and its concept of love in the days before the advent of Christ. St. Valentine and St. Marius helped the victims of persecution of Roman Emperor Claudius II. History is confused about the activities of St. Valentine as at least three St. Valentines are found in the annals of historical accounts. One was a priest in Rome, the second one was a bishop of Interamna and the third St. Valentine was a martyr in the Roman province of Africa. But there is no doubt that one St. Valentine really did exist because archaeologists have extricated from the forgotten ruins, a Roman catacomb and a church dedicated to this saint.

The martyr day of Saint Valentine was celebrated as Valentine's Day and this custom was started by Pope Gelasius in 496 AD.

St. Valentine, as he is known to the world, invited the wrath of the Roman Emperor Claudius II.

This Emperor had a peculiar concept of love, he felt that marriage and love made reluctant soldiers. This made him pass a decree that young men should not indulge in marriage. But with St. Valentine around what was the need to heed such atrocious orders?

Young couples were married clandestinely, and the going was smooth as long as the Emperor had no wind of what was going on right under his nose. But once he realized what was happening, St. Valentine had no escape from the cruel clutches of the Emperor. He was thrown in to a dungeon, clubbed and then beheaded around 270 BC.

From Saint Valentine biography, My Dear Valentine is pleased to note that the priest himself tasted love on eve of his death. While in jail, the jailors daughter developed tender emotions for him and received a note signed, "from your Valentine." It is exceedingly heart warming that the practice of celebrating love has been passed down from one century to another.