Most people just call it Valentine's Day, but the full name of the day is Saint Valentine's Day. Okay Saint Valentine's day, so it's some sort of Religious Holiday? Sort of.
First let's see who Saint Valentine really was. There was more than one Saint Valentine, to quote the Catholic Encyclopedia (yeah, they were Catholic Saints),
At least three different Saint Valentines, all of them martyrs, are mentioned in the early martyrologies under date of 14 February. One is described as a priest at Rome, another as bishop of Interamna (modern Terni)...
And who were they martyrs and that's about all that was known. Quoting the Wikipedia article on Saint Valentine,
Of the Saint Valentine whose feast is on February 14, nothing is known except his name and that he was buried at the Via Flaminia north of Rome on February 14. It is even uncertain whether the feast of that day celebrates only one saint or more saints of the same name.
To add to how little is know of Saint Valentine another quote from the Wikipedia article,
The Saint Valentine who is celebrated on February 14 remains in the Catholic Church's official list of saints (the Roman Martyrology), but, in view of the scarcity of information about him, his commemoration was removed from the General Calendar for universal liturgical veneration, when this was revised in 1969.
Yup, "scarcity of information" and "removed from the General Calendar for universal liturgical veneration".
Okay, so we are celebrating a day that is supposed to be the day for venerating a Saint, who there is little information known, and at least for the Catholic liturgical Calendar, the day was removed.
Then were does all the romantic mumbo jumbo come from? Thank Geoffory Chaucer. Quoting the same Wikipedia article again,
Historian Jack Oruch has made the case that the traditions associated with "Valentine's Day", documented in Geoffrey Chaucer's Parliament of Foules and set in the fictional context of an old tradition, had no such tradition before Chaucer.
The way the day is celebrated is based on folklore and fiction. It has barely anything to do with the Saint(s) who are the reason the day was celebrated in the first place and little is known about them as well.
What was the reason for this. This reason. For all the single people today, for the people who can't stand the mushy cards and the phoniness, for all the couples who don't buy into this kind of stuff, and the people who a reserved and don't need to "shout to the world of their love", the day is based mostly on fiction and was even removed from the "General Calendar for universal liturgical veneration". So take that, take that phony and fake "Valentines Day".
This thread is for the single people and the reserved. For those who are tired of being single and seeing couple crammed down their faces. For those who are tired for commercials making out that love is only chocolates and flowers. The day is mostly fake. Stop buying the cards, chocolates, and flowers, and save for something like a birthday.
This thread is for the single people and the reserved. For those who are tired of being single and seeing couple crammed down their faces. For those who are tired for commercials making out that love is only chocolates and flowers. The day is mostly fake. Stop buying the cards, chocolates, and flowers, and save for something like a birthday.
Okay, crud, I should have omitted this last paragraph. I'm not being that serious and the thread obviously can be for anyone. I just wanted people to know how the day came about, but at the same time give something to those who are single. It wasn't supposed to come across so mean. More of just, I don't know how to explain, a way to get your attention.
But comments on the day itself, or that you didn't know what was said in the OP, or if you have additional information, or if you like the day, please, post.
In Argentina, there is the day of lovers and day of friends. They both have nothing to do with Saint Valentine. Most Holidays in Argentina have very little to do with religion. On Christmas, however, they are very religious.
I feel to tired to read all of that carefully, but I know that Sanctus Valentinus doesn't have anything to do with a celebration of love. D*** you Chaucer.
Anyway, it seems we're too lazy to change holiday names. It doesn't matter whatever the day is named, because nowadays it lacks relevance to religion. Call it whatever, it's still the same (and annoying because of the name).
