Valentine's Day special: Why we say "your valentine"

 By Linda Otieno

  

Have you ever wondered where the phrase “Your Valentine” came from? Unexpectedly, the story began with a fallen saint who was put to death for defending his faith. His name was Valentine. There are different legends on how his story unfolded but they at least agree on a few major details.

He was born in the year 226 in a city called Terni in Italy. Valentine was a priest in the 3rd Century in Rome. 

At this time, Rome had the most powerful army in the world. The Romans were so strong that they conquered almost all of Europe and parts of Asia and Africa. However, life in the army was harsh and many of the soldiers longed to stay home. They wanted to get married and set up families.

If one was married, they had freedom to opt out of going to war. At this time, Rome was at war.  The Emperor, Claudius II, grew worried that he would not have enough people to go to war. Therefore, the emperor made marriage illegal.

During this time, many of the Romans were Christians. One of their leaders was a priest called Valentine. He advocated for marriage and believed its sacredness as per Christian teachings. Therefore, he secretly married soldiers to their partners in his church, even though it was against the law.

The soldiers weddings were meant to be kept secret. However, word got out about these illegal marriages. Valentine was arrested and brought before the Emperor. The emperor demanded that he stop helping soldiers to marry and that he pray to the gods of Rome instead of the Christian God. 

When he refused to obey, the Emperor sentenced him to death. Valentine was then imprisoned and tortured. While Valentine was in prison, the jailer’s daughter used to bring him food. She was a young woman who was unfortunately blind. She and Valentine used to spend long hours talking to each other. They grew closer.

One day, Valentine put his hand through the bars of the cell and touched the lids of her closed eyes. When she opened them again she could see. It was a miracle.

Valentine's execution was set for February 14. On his last night on earth, he wrote his final message to the girl. He signed his letter “from your Valentine.” Ever since people have sent their loved ones messages on February 14 with the same signature.

And that's the story of why we say “Your Valentine."

Oh, and by the way...

Happy Valentine's Day!