Every year on February 14th, it is a day full of flowers and sweetness. In the West, the festival is known as "st."Valentine's Day", or St. Valentine's Day. Although Valentine's Day is now deeply ingrained in our lives, to trace its origins back to the original Roman era.
Before 44 B.C., February 13-15 was a holiday of fertility and health, and shepherds would pray for the health of their cattle and sheep. During this ceremony, priests would sacrifice goats and dogs to make prayers to the gods. However, the more popular version concerns a priest.
Legend has it that in the 3rd century AD, the Roman Empire was mired in civil strife, people fought for power, and there were constant wars outside, and a dark cloud hung over Rome. The chaos eventually spread to the common people, with many wives watching their husbands leave and many mothers watching over their missing sons. In order to allow the Roman soldiers to concentrate more on the war of the country, the pope issued a decision that people did not expect: all marriages were null and void, and marriage was forbidden.
That's when our protagonist, Father Valentine, appears. In Western religious countries, weddings are usually held in churches, so that couples who love each other can receive God's witness and blessings. But our priests believe that love is a sacred, unsullied emotion that should not be bound by decree. So, he secretly performed rituals for each couple who asked for help. All these rumors spread, and more and more people came to seek the help of the priest, until the matter finally came to light and reached the ears of the Pope.
The Pope was outraged by the priest's blatant disobedience and arrogance, and he was arrested and imprisoned and brutally tortured. But the brave priest did not admit his mistakes. On February 14, 270 A.D., the priest was taken to the place of execution and died heroically. In his honor, the day is celebrated as "St. Valentine's Day".
In addition, there is a version of the story about the origin of this festival. In the story, Valentine is no longer a priest, but a brave young congregant. The young man was imprisoned for helping his companions. While in prison, he became acquainted with the beautiful daughter of the prison warden, who had been blind for many years, and developed feelings for her. However, the young believer was eventually sentenced to death. Before his execution, he wrote a long letter expressing his farewell and confession to his lover. In order to commemorate the young man's love, people designated the day of his death as a holiday, praying that all people can have a good love.