Pope Gelasius declared February 14th Valentine’s Day in the 5th Century, but the legend of the real St. Valentine’s is so much more interesting.

In the 3rd Century A.D. there lived an ambitious emperor named Claudius the 2nd. In an effort to make his vast armies stronger, Emperor Claudius banned all marriage for his solders so they would not have families to miss while serving away for extended periods of time.

A roman priest named Valentine, disagreeing with him, defied the emperor, and secretly continued to marry young couples. When Emperor Claudius found out he sentenced him to death.

Legend has it that while Father Valentine was in jail, many of the young couples he had married would visit him in prison passing him flowers and notes. 

It is said that during his time in prison, Father Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, and that on February 14th, the day of his execution, he passed the girl a note signed, "from your Valentine." Source: History.com

Happy Valentine’s everyone.

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