In today's blog, thanks to BBC News, in today's blog you'll learn about who Saint Valentine was, and Valentine's day's Roman origins. You'll also learn why people flock to a certain church in Ireland, and get a look at a computer reconstruction of St. Valentine's face!
WHY VALENTINES FLOCK TO WHITEFRIAR CHURCH, IRELAND: By Tori Watson BBC News NI
Lovebirds in Dublin, Ireland are flocking to Whitefriar Shrine church in Ireland to see the remains of history's most romantic man. The patron saint of people in love was a Roman priest who lived during the third Century AD. He was jailed and sentenced to death for arranging secret marriages for soldiers, in defiance of a marital ban imposed by Emperor Claudius II.Legend has it that while in prison he fell in love with the jailer's daughter and sent her a letter on 14 February - the day he was taken to be killed - signed: "From your Valentine."
WHAT DID ST. VALENTINE LOOK LIKE? - To see a computer reconstruction of St. Valentine: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-43056345/st-valentine-does-this-3d-reconstruction-show-his-face
WHY GO TO THIS CHURCH? - The Whitefriar Shrine dates back to the 1950s. The Vatican states that the reliquary contains the remains of St Valentine, martyr, together with a small vessel tinged with his blood.
ORIGINS OF VALENTINE'S DAY: The day is thought to have originated from a Roman festival.
The Romans had a festival called Lupercalia in the middle of February - officially the start of their springtime. It's
thought that as part of the celebrations, boys drew names of girls from
a box. They'd be boyfriend and girlfriend during the festival and
sometimes they'd get married. Later
on, the church wanted to turn this festival into a Christian
celebration and decided to use it to remember St Valentine too. Gradually, St Valentine's name started to be used by people to express their feelings to those they loved.
