[Music] for all its popularity history doesn't give us any guarantees as to the origins of Valentine's Day but we do know it contains vestages of the early Christian Church in ancient Rome the association between mid-February and romance goes back to a pagan Festival known as lalia likely honoring either Lupa the She Wolf of Rome who suckled ramulus and Remis or Faus their God of fertility the festivities began with an animal sacrifice then the ritualistic slapping of young women with strips of the animals skin and blood to bestow fertility for the coming year in the fifth
century perhaps in an effort to christianize the Pagan Festival Pope gelasius declared February 14 14th as St Valentine's Day as for the real St Valentine there were reportedly several canonized by the church Legend has it that one St Valentine a defiant Roman priest lived during the 3rd Century ad under Emperor Claudius II Claudius was an ambitious ruler his battles required vast armies of men to abandon their young families for long periods of time resulting in a military that was half-hearted and homesick so determined was Claudius to stop love from sapping the will of his armies
he banned marriages Al together together father Valentine thought the ban unjust and defied the emperor continuing to marry young lovers in secret the emperor eventually caught on to the priest's actions arrested him and sentenced him to death It is believed that young couples he had secretly wed would visit his cell passing him flowers and notes through the bars as symbols of their gratitude the story continues that The Condemned father Valentine fell in love with his jailer's daughter on February 14th the day he was executed it is said he passed the young girl a note it
was signed from your Valentine a tradition was born Cupid the winged Matchmaker started out as the Roman god of love inspired the image of cherubs for Christians and is now a favorite of card makers and mass marketers our modern Valentine's Day removed from its religious and Pagan past has evolved into one of the most celebrated holidays on the calendar on average Americans shower their loved ones with 180 million roses red ones naturally and almost 36 million heart-shaped boxes of candy not to mention all those cards dinners and diamonds all told the holiday brings in almost
$14 billion annually giving retailers plenty to love as well but if you're worried that you can't afford to treat your loved one properly next Valentine's Day take Heart The Poets were right love is really all you need [Music]
