As a reflection on this year’s Valentine’s Day, we bring you stories of the truth behind the global celebration: the saint whose life we toast to and the coincidental deaths we remember.
Every year, millions of people enjoy Valentine's Day without knowing the history that plagues it. Let us take a deeper look at what Valentine's Day is really about. While lovers usually exchange gifts of chocolates and flowers in the name of St. Valentine, I can tell you that the origin of our beloved holiday was quite different.
St. Valentine was no fan of love or romance. Valentine's Day originally marked the beheading of the third-century Christian martyr. Ancient sources divulge that several saints named Valentine died on February 14th during the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius Gothicus, from 269 to 270 CE. This was at a time when persecution of Christians was frequent. However, history isn't simple; it is rather complicated.
First of all, there was more than one St. Valentine. There were three. All three of these persons were alive in the third century CE. St. Valentine of Rome and St. Valentine of Terni lived in Italy, whereas St. Valentine of North Africa lived in a mediterranean coastal province of the Roman Empire. So on February 14th, which St. Valentine do we honour? That would be St. Valentine of Rome's, who was executed on February 14th 269 CE rather than experiencing good fortune in love. Not exactly a happy ending. The anti-Christian Emperor Claudius II allegedly executed St. Valentine of Rome, a temple priest, in a region close to Rome. The offence? Assisting Roman soldiers in getting married despite the Christian faith's prohibition.
However, the historical facts don't end there. There is also the well-known St. Valentine's Massacre. On February 14th 1929, several unarmed bootlegging gang members were shot and killed in Chicago. During the American Prohibition era, the deadly incident underscored the fierce competition to control the illegal alcoholic beverage trade. Members of the Al Capone gang broke into the George Moran gang’s garage while posing as police officers. They lined up their adversaries against a wall and shot them dead in cold blood. The victims included Dr Reinhardt H. Schwimmer, a guest, and several gang members. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre and other gangland killings, which were shown graphically and often by the global media, came to represent the violence of the Chicago Prohibition era.
So the next time you are strolling through dark alleyways on Valentine’s night, be wary and look to your left and right for the shadow of a fedora or a gun. History often repeats itself.
Sources
The Big Think
Britannica
Wikipedia
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