By: Mariel Lopez
There are several stories about the origin of Valentine’s Day. One of the most popular tells that, during the Roman Empire, Emperor Claudius II forbade soldiers to get married, considering that single men performed better in battle.
A bishop named Valentin considered this prohibition unjust and, in contravention of the emperor’s order, secretly married couples, among other things, to safeguard the sacrament of marriage. Upon being discovered by Caesar, he was imprisoned.
In prison, Valentin was ridiculed by his jailer, who challenged him to restore his blind daughter’s sight, which Valentin did in the name of the Lord. It is said that on February 14 Valentine was executed, hence the feast of Valentine’s Day is celebrated to this day. Another story tells that, in reality, the Catholic Church created Valentine’s Day to put an end to the pagan tradition of lupercal festivities, which were a rite for fertility.
