| We all know what Valentine's Day means
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| | connection to romance. The pope
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| today-it's a time to send and receive
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| | described St. Valentine as among saints
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| flowers, chocolates, and other romantic
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| | whose "names are reverenced among men,
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| gifts; a time to show our appreciation
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| | but whose deeds are known only to God."
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| for our significant other; generally, a
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| | His birthplace and date of birth were
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| time to honor the romance in our lives.
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| | unknown.
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| But most of us don't realize that
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| | The first known association of
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| Valentine's Day has a long history-and
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| | Valentine's Day with love came from
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| much of it had little to do with romantic
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| | Geoffrey Chaucer. In his poem,
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| love.
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| | "Parlement of Foules," written in 1382,
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| Valentine's Day is shrouded in legend,
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| | Valentine's Day was said to be the day
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| but not much is known about the actual
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| | when all the birds chose their mates for
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| history of the day. The earliest
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| | the year. The poem was written to honor
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| associations with Valentine's Day date
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| | the engagement of England's King, Richard
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| from the time of the Roman Empire, when
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| | II, to Anne of Bohemia. The poem alludes
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| fertility rituals typically took place in
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| | to this as an old and venerable
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| the month of February. In calendars from
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| | tradition; however, there are no records
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| the time of the ancient Athenians, the
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| | of Valentine's Day as a romantic holiday
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| time between the middle of January and
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| | before this time. It's likely that
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| the middle of February was called
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| | Chaucer was the father of our modern-day
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| "Garmelion," and was associated with the
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| | holiday.
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| marriage between Zeus and Hera. Since
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| | Valentine's Day took off soon after
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| Zeus was hardly a model husband, this is
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| | that-it fit in perfectly with the French
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| not a blindingly romantic association.
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| | nobility's ongoing infatuation with
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| During the Roman fertility ritual of
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| | courtly love. While the term "courtly
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| Lupercalia, contemporary accounts tell of
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| | love" wasn't coined until the late
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| young noblemen running through the
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| | 1800's, the principles of it can be found
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| streets of Rome stark naked, striking
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| | in literature dating as far back as the
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| anyone they met with leather thongs.
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| | 12th century. In this idealized vision
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| Women would intentionally get in their
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| | of romance, a knight or nobleman would
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| way, believing that the strike fostered
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| | fall in love with a beautiful
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| pregnancy and easy delivery.
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| | woman-always a woman of a higher class,
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| Interesting…but not very romantic.
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| | and usually somebody else's wife. His
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| St. Valentine himself is another mystery.
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| | love would be unattainable, but he would
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| There are several legends surrounding
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| | still work to make himself worthy of her
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| the "St. Valentine" figure. The earliest
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| | by undertaking dangerous quests in her
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| known legends say that St. Valentine was
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| | name and performing any harrowing task
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| arrested for being Christian, and
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| | she might ask for. Courtly love is found
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| questioned in person by Emperor Claudius
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| | everywhere in literature from the legends
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| of Rome. Legend has it that the Emperor
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| | of King Arthur to the poetry of Plutarch
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| liked Valentine, and tried to get him to
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| | and Shakespeare.
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| convert to paganism so that his life
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| | During the 1400's, a "High Court of Love"
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| might be saved. Of course, Valentine
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| | was founded in Paris. It was an attempt
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| refused-and tried to convert the Emperor
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| | to apply the language of law at the time
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| to Christianity instead. He was executed
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| | to romantic conflicts including
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| for his troubles.
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| | betrayals, violence against women, and
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| This legend has no association to
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| | contracts of love. The court was
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| romance, and throughout the years,
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| | established on Valentine's Day, and its
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| writers have tried to make the legend
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| | judges were chosen based on the eloquence
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| more closely associated with love. In
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| | of their poetry.
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| one, Valentine is a Christian priest
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| | The earliest known valentine was sent
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| living during the time of Emperor
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| | from the Duke of Orleans to his wife.
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| Claudius. According to legend, Claudius
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| | The Duke was being held in the Tower of
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| was trying to recruit men for the Roman
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| | London after the English army captured
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| Army-and failing. The men were refusing
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| | him at the Battle of Agincourt. The
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| to leave their wives. Claudius became
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| | valentine was a rondeau, addressed to the
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| angry enough to forbid any new marriages
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| | Duke's "Valentined wife."
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| throughout the Roman Empire. Valentine
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| | The tradition of exchanging love notes
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| refused to honor the Emperor's decree,
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| | and cards on Valentine's Day continued
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| secretly marrying many couples before he
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| | for several centuries, and was eventually
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| was found out, thrown in jail, and
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| | exported to the New World. Around 1847,
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| eventually killed. Another legend claims
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| | Esther Howland, the daughter of a
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| that he cured his jailor's daughter of
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| | stationery-store owner, began
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| blindness before he died.
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| | mass-producing Valentine's Day cards.
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| Actually, there are several holy men
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| | The cards were made of embossed paper and
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| named Valentine who could be the saint in
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| | lace, and Esther claimed to have been
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| question. One of them was indeed a Roman
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| | inspired by a Valentine given to her by a
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| priest; another was a bishop, and a third
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| | sweetheart in England.
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| was a martyr believed to be from the
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| | Today, Valentine's Day is celebrated by
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| Roman province of Africa. St.
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| | everyone from children to adults. Next
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| Valentine's Day was not declared a
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| | time you sign your name to a Valentine's
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| holiday until 496, when Pope Gelasius I
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| | Day card or pick up a Valentine gift for
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| gave it a date of February 14th. Even
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| | your loved one, remember the mysterious
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| then, it was celebrated as a normal feast
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| | origins of the holiday-it's sure to make
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| day to honor the saint, with no
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| | your experience of it richer.
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