St. Valentines Day

[Jaimsieboy]

Does anybody know in what year and by whom, St. Valentines Day made official ?

[jeffa]

Made official? Do you mean by the Catholic church?

[Tilly2]

Probably some Victorian invention.

[berniecuddles]

clintons cards!

[Captain2]

jeffa, is it not more of an Anglican church feast?

[woofgang]

Its not official, its traditional.

[jeffa]

It has no official status anywhere, AFAIK, which is why I was asking the OP what he meant.

[gingejbee]

It's called a "marketing opportunity". Official.

[Captain2]

Sorry, but what does AFAIK stand for (if not too rude)?

[jeffa]

As far as I know.

[Captain2]

Doh! Thanks

[FredPuli43]

According to wiki, the day was first celebrated by the giving of gifts to symbolise love in the C18. But Saint Valentine's day was recognised in Chaucer's day.

The date is that on which he was executed in the reign of the Roman Emperor, Claudius Gothicus 213- 217 AD. He was made a saint some time in the Middle Ages; until 993, saints were never formally created but owed their sanctity to tradition, but the year of his being formally beatified is not known, if he ever was.

It may be that February 14th was taken by early Christians as a convenient time to replace the Roman festival of Lupercalia. According to legend, Saint Valentine was executed for conducting Christian marriages of Roman soldiers. That legend seems to be his only connection with love or marriage.

[goodlife]

The World Book Encyclopedia gives further information, offering various theories on the origin of Valentine Day practices. “According to one story, the Roman Emperor Claudius II in the A.D. 200’s forbade young men to marry. The emperor thought single men made better soldiers. A priest named Valentine disobeyed the emperor’s order and secretly married young couples. . . . Many stories say that Valentine was executed on February 14 about A.D. 269. In A.D. 496, Saint Pope Gelasius I named February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day.”

So one can see regardless of the true origin of the practice, it is evident that it is rooted in ancient pagan beliefs and in Christendom’s listing of so-called “saints.” Valentine Day is also another excuse for commercial exploitation of an often uninformed public. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18 ) and not for true Christian.

[Tilly2]

I just wanted to say that I didn't mean St Valentine was a Victorian invention. What I meant was that the first Valentine cards were sent during the Victorian period.