Did you hug your Valentine today? ...why?

Happy Valentine's Day! Does everyone have their sweetheart handy? If not, borrow one, just for the day. Promise you'll give it back when you're done...

For some, today was a chance to celebrate that special someone in your life, for others it's a painful reminder that they are single. But do you know why we celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14? Don't feel bad. Neither does anyone else!

St. Valentine's Day is named after two early christian martyrs named Valentine. Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni. Neither of these martyrs or their histories have anything to do with romantic love. In fact, so little of their history is known that Pope Paul VI had St. Valentine's Day removed from the Roman calendar in 1969.

It is interesting and somewhat curious that both saints are buried on the Via Flaminia, a country road in Italy leading from Rome to Rimini over the Apennine Mountains (supposedly on February 14). A third saint named Valentine is mentioned in history but even less is known about him than about the first two.

The first connection between romantic love and St. Valentine's Day is found in Chaucer's poem, Parlement of Foules, written in the mid-1300's and believed to refer to a COMPLETELY different St. Valentine. This would be a much less confusing holiday if there weren't so many saints with the same name!

Since Chaucer first mentioned the idea of choosing a mate on the feast of St. Valentine, the holiday has grown to include all variations on love. We give Valentine's presents to those whom we love intimately, those we love as close friends, those we know well, those we wish we knew well, our children give them to classmates, some people even give them to their pets. It seems maybe we are moving away from the idea that this day commemorates romantic love.

Regardless of how you plan to celebrate this holiday, or IF you plan to celebrate this holiday, know that the holiday you are celebrating began in remembrance of two Catholic saints who gave their lives for their faith and had turned into another reason to spend our hard earned cash on junk we don't need that won't last. Sometimes, it's amazing how meanings get lost.