St. Valentine championed love, of course
By Jaelin Palmer
St. Valentine's Day is upon us and love is in the air.
used today. Many people believe Valentine's Day is celebrated
this day has a way of bringing out a man's romantic side (or
making him panic and buy a toaster for his true love).
or burial, which would have taken place around 270 A.D. So
although we don't know which legend actually inspired our
love? Well it's all thanks to the legends of Saint Valentine.
holiday of love, we do know that Valentine was a brave man
The first legend says Valentine was a priest who served willing to champion true love at all costs. There's no better
during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius message than that for this lovely holiday.
II decided that single men made better soldiers, he outlawed
marriage for young men. Valentine, who could see the injustice
of the law, refused to stop performing wedding ceremonies for
those in love. When Valentine was discovered, Claudius ordered
he be put to death.
Other tales suggest Valentine was put to death for attempting
to help Christians escape from the harsh Roman prisons where
they were beaten and tortured.
One of the most famous stories contends that Valentine sent
the first "Valentine" greeting himself after falling in love with
a young girl, possibly his jailer's daughter, who came to visit
him during his imprisonment. Before he died, he wrote her a
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OUR YUCAIPA | FEBRUARY 2014
