Valentine's Day

What does Valentine's Day mean to people in this century? The origin of Valentines is very cloudy, but it was originally used to honor the Valentines of Rome and Terni. However, there is one interesting romantic legend that about the origin of Valentine's Day. In this legend, St. Valentine was captured and persecuted. He was later questioned by the Roman monarch Claudius the Second. Two stories branch out at this point.

One depicts St. Valentine as a priest that refused to follow a law set by Claudius II, a law that ordered young men to remain unattached and single. This law was brought about through the belief that, without a wife or family, these single men will become better soldiers. In defiance of this law, Valentine secretly performed marriage ceremonies for these soon to be soldiers. For his defiance, Valentine was thrown in jail.

The second one is very similar to the first one, and very much follows the same plot. However, the ending is a little bit more gruesome. On the day of Valentine's execution, he writes the first Valentine's card, to a girl he truly loved. At the bottom read 'From your Valentine'.

Valentine's Day, in the modern world, is held on February 14, 2011, Monday of this year. It is an annual celebration of love and affection between couples. However, businesses have also used this day as a day for profit. Walking down an aisle in a grocery store, you can see a variety of Valentine's cards, teddy bears and chocolate hearts that number in the hundreds. It has become such a celebrated holiday that the promotions of Valentine's Day can even be compared against the massive promotions for Christmas.

So what does Valentine's Day mean to you? A day of expense or a day of love?