Beholden to Hallmark
A Happy Feast Day of St. Valentine!
What's that? You say that its not a religious holiday - its a celebration of love and everlasting devotion and... Well - Not exactly. It might be that way now, thanks to the folks at Hallmark and Cadbury, but for several centuries, that just wasn't the case.
Courtesy of Wikipedia, we note:
The Legenda Aurea of Jacobus de Voragine, compiled about 1260 and one of the most-read books of the High Middle Ages, gives sufficient details of the saints for each day of the liturgical year to inspire a homily on each occasion. The very brief vita of St Valentine has him refusing to deny Christ before the "Emperor Claudius"[18] in the year 280. Before his head was cut off, this Valentine restored sight and hearing to the daughter of his jailer. Jacobus makes a play with the etymology of "Valentine", "as containing valour".
The Legenda Aurea does not contain anything about hearts and last notes signed "from your Valentine", as is sometimes suggested in modern works of sentimental piety [1]. Many of the current legends surrounding them appear in the late Middle Ages in France and England, when the feast day of February 14 became associated with romantic love.
Until 1969, the Catholic Church recognized eleven different Valentine's Days. There are lots of "Valentines" in Catholic liturgy. The one for February 14th is generally agreed upon to be the "Roman" St. Valentine.
So, we know that there's some healing done. And some martyrdom. This is standard saintly fare. But what about the chocolates, roses, and the 25.00 Cosmos?!
We can thank Chaucer for that. Chaucer, writing in Parlement of Foules (1382):
For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese [choose] his make [mate]
The US Greeting Card Association (yes, apparently there is one), estimates that One Billion Valentines are sent worldwide, making it the second biggest card day, after Christmas.
So, its a celebration of yet another guy, killed by the Romans. Somehow, this one turned into dinner, flowers and a movie.
What's that? You say that its not a religious holiday - its a celebration of love and everlasting devotion and... Well - Not exactly. It might be that way now, thanks to the folks at Hallmark and Cadbury, but for several centuries, that just wasn't the case.
Courtesy of Wikipedia, we note:
The Legenda Aurea of Jacobus de Voragine, compiled about 1260 and one of the most-read books of the High Middle Ages, gives sufficient details of the saints for each day of the liturgical year to inspire a homily on each occasion. The very brief vita of St Valentine has him refusing to deny Christ before the "Emperor Claudius"[18] in the year 280. Before his head was cut off, this Valentine restored sight and hearing to the daughter of his jailer. Jacobus makes a play with the etymology of "Valentine", "as containing valour".
The Legenda Aurea does not contain anything about hearts and last notes signed "from your Valentine", as is sometimes suggested in modern works of sentimental piety [1]. Many of the current legends surrounding them appear in the late Middle Ages in France and England, when the feast day of February 14 became associated with romantic love.
Until 1969, the Catholic Church recognized eleven different Valentine's Days. There are lots of "Valentines" in Catholic liturgy. The one for February 14th is generally agreed upon to be the "Roman" St. Valentine.
So, we know that there's some healing done. And some martyrdom. This is standard saintly fare. But what about the chocolates, roses, and the 25.00 Cosmos?!
We can thank Chaucer for that. Chaucer, writing in Parlement of Foules (1382):
For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese [choose] his make [mate]
The US Greeting Card Association (yes, apparently there is one), estimates that One Billion Valentines are sent worldwide, making it the second biggest card day, after Christmas.
So, its a celebration of yet another guy, killed by the Romans. Somehow, this one turned into dinner, flowers and a movie.
posted by Mitch at 6:15 PM
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