Box O Chocolates - Valentines Day

Valentines Day

A lot of people think Valentines Day was a holiday created by greeting card companies to make money. (Men, in particular, like to believe this--and try to use it as an excuse not to buy a gift.) The reality of it is that the tradition began in honor of St. Valentine, a martyr whose death was on February 14, 269 A.D.

St. Valentine's Story

St. Valentine was a priest in Rome during the third century. At that time, Rome was ruled by an emperor named Claudius, who most did not like. Claudius wanted a big army, and he expected men to volunteer for it. But many Roman men did not want to be soldiers, especially the ones who were married and had families. They simply did not want to leave them. Therefore, not many men signed up, which infuriated Claudius. As a result, Claudius outlawed marriage, thinking that if young men were not married, they would be less resistant to joining the army. Obviously, most people thought the law was ridiculous, including St. Valentine.

As we mentioned before, St. Valentine was a priest, and one of his favorite things to do was perform marriages. And he kept performing them in secret, even after Claudius passed that insane law. The ceremonies only included the bride, the groom and St. Valentine, and they were in a small, candlelit room. They even whispered the words because they had to listen for the footsteps of approaching soldiers. One night, they soldiers did come, and although the young couple escaped, St. Valentine did not. He was jailed and sentenced to death.

While in jail, he had many visitors and supporters, who often threw flowers and notes to his window. One of his visitors included the jailer's daughter. (The jailer allowed her to visit.) They would sit and talk for hours, and she agreed that St. Valentine had done nothing wrong. On the day his death sentence was to be carried out, February 14, 269 A.D., he wrote a note to the jailer's daughter thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. He signed it, "Love from your Valentine."

The tradition of giving flowers and exchanging notes continued on to what we now know as Valentines Day. Before the printing process was very advanced, people exchanged handwritten notes. Eventually, when greeting cards were invented, most people found those to be their preferred method of exchanging Valentines Day greetings. Sometimes greeting card companies know just the right words to use, and people who aren't gifted in that way find it to be a great way to convey what's in their heart on Valentines Day.

How Valentine's Day has Expanded

We won't lie--greeting card companies and other companies have invented many other ways for people to express their love in addition to a Valentines Day card. While flowers, cards and gourmet chocolate gifts are still very popular, other types of Valentines Day gifts are also popular and very traditional. Many opt to give a Valentines Day gift of chocolate--most of which come in a heart-shaped box of chocolates. Of course, there are other chocolate gifts that are becoming popular too, like champagne chocolates or a dozen chocolate roses. (Talk about multi-tasking!) And these days, chocolate isn't just a way to express your love--you can give it to say, "Merry Christmas," "Happy Birthday," or even "Happy Easter!" Of course, for romantic occasions like Valentine's Day or an anniversary, jewelry is another popular option.

Whatever you choose to give your Valentine, just remember where the tradition came from. The sentiment is more important than any gift. In fact, a handmade card or handwritten note often means more than anything else could.

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