Valentine’s Day has been heavily commercialized for several decades now and it is likely that most of us do not even understand what the true meaning or origin of this celebration is. With 14th of February only a month away, our limo service in Chicago got to thinking of how it all began and how many people out there are unaware. We were fairly sure that Valentine’s Day did not begin as a chocolate and flowers affair. Well, our curiosity got us digging and we unearthed what the original context of this celebration of love was; this is what we would like to share with you today.
Before we proceed to the history, we would like to recommend employing the services of a reliable concierge car service for all your ground transportation needs on the day. Even with the awareness of the true meaning of Valentine’s Day, the world has still adopted a new way of celebrating love and we are also fairly certain that this is not about to change. Consider our Chicago Car Service for this purpose. As you celebrate your love, let our professional chauffeurs handle all the driving and navigation for you; focus all your attention on the object of your affection and make memories that will last you a lifetime. Now, without further ado, here is a brief summary of the history of Valentine’s Day.
We found that there are several different theories about the origin of Valentine’s Day, but the most credible sources seemed to indicate that the celebration started out as a religious event by the Catholic Church. The church canonized three different saints who died in the name of love, and who were all surprisingly named Valentine. However, the one attributed to birthing the celebration was a priest who lived in the third century during the rule of Emperor Claudius.
During this time the Emperor came up with the idea that young men made for better warriors in comparison to those who were married and had families. He therefore declared it illegal for all young men to marry. Valentine, the priest, defied this law in the name of love and continued to marry young men in secret.
When the Emperor discovered this, he immediately had the priest executed. Valentine was later canonized in the 5th Century and 14th of February was declared his feast day; a day designated in honor of his life and his sacrifice. Over time, the celebration of this day evolved to, not only celebrating Saint Valentine’s life, but the love he fought for as a whole.
Today, Valentine’s Day is celebrated across the world, not as a religious feast but as a day when we take the time to express our love to those who mean the most to us. Although in most cases this involves couples, the celebration isn’t necessarily limited to romantic relationships; it is not uncommon to have friends and family exchange gifts and expressions of affection on Valentine’s Day.
So, as you celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, and every other year to come, we hope you don’t perceive the day as a generic holiday, but rather as a day when we are reminded of the power of love.
Posted on Jan 10 2019