Where did all this begin? There are several different versions of the story.

One version says that Valentine was a priest who served during the 3rd century in Rome. Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those who were married and so he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine defied Claudius and continued to perform marriage ceremonies in secret. When he was discovered, Claudius ordered he be put to death. Another version says the Valentine may have been killed because he helped Christians escape the harsh Roman prisons where they were beaten and tortured. And another version says the Valentine sent the first "valentine" greeting to himself. While he as in prison, he fell in love with a young girl who visited him. Before he died legend has it that he wrote her a letter signed "from your Valentine". Some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial. Others believe that the Christian Church was attempting to "Christianize" the celebration of the pagan Lupercalia Festival. In ancient Rome February was the official beginning of spring, a time for purification. Houses were cleansed by sweeping them out and sprinkling salt and "spelt" (a type of wheat). Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. To begin the festival, the Luperci (an order of Roman priests) would gather at the sacred cave where Romulus and Remus had been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. They would then sacrifice a goat for fertility and a dog for purification. The goat's hide would be sliceinto strips, dipped in sacrificial blood and then women and fields of crops would be slapped with the goat hide strips. Women believed that the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. Then later in the day the young women would place their names in a big urn. The bachelors would choose a name and become paired for the year with this chosen woman. Many of these matches ended in marriage. Pope Gelasius declared February 15th St Valentine's Day around 498AD. In France and England February 14th was believed to be the beginning of birds' mating season - one more reason to believe that this should be a day for romance. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415. Valentine's Day became popular in Great Britain during the 17th century. By the end of the 18th century it was not uncommon for friends and lovers to exchange small tokens of affection and handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards arrived on the scene. American began exchanging hand made valentines in the early 1700s. During the 1840s Esther Howland, known as the "Mother of the Valentine", made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons, and colorful pictures and sold the first mass produced valentines here in America. Now over one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making it the second largest card sending holiday of the year. However you celebrate the occasion, take the time to stop and remember that special someone, whomever that may be - a friend, your parent, your grandparent, your spouse. It's the thought that counts.
WWW.Billerica Townie News