February can be a cold, cold month.
But right in the middle of that cold month, is a very special day!
February 14 is St. Valentine's Day!
Who was St. Valentine?
The Space Alien found this online:
"Saint Valentine was a 3rd century Roman saint, likely a priest or bishop, martyred around 269-270 A.D. during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. He is the patron saint of love, engaged couples, and happy marriages, traditionally associated with February 14th for secretly marrying couples to prevent men from going to war.
Key details about St. Valentine include:
-- Legends of Defiance: Saint Valentine is believed to have defied Emperor Claudius II's decree that young men should remain single to be better soldiers, choosing instead to secretly marry them.
- Martyrdom: He was arrested, beaten, and executed (beheaded) on February 14, likely for his Christian faith and defiance of Roman authority.
- The Blind Girl Legend: A popular, though perhaps legendary, account suggests that while in prison, Saint Valentine healed the blind daughter of his captor, Asterius, leading to the conversion of his household.
- Origins of the Day: The connection to romantic love was heavily influenced by literature, particularly Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, rather than solely religious history.
- Identity Confusion: Historical accounts often blur together at least two different men named Valentine (one a priest in Rome, another a bishop in Terni), leading the Catholic Church to remove his official feast day from the general Roman Calendar in 1969, while still recognizing him as a saint.