According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, there were at least three early Christian saints by the name of Valentine. While one was a priest in Rome, another was a bishop in Terni. Nothing is known about the third St. Valentine except that he met his end in Africa. Surprisingly, all three of them were said to have been martyred on 14th February.

There are many legends around but my favourite states that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Valentine’s day is a strange day for me… every year I keep telling my other half not to do anything special as it’s only a money making day and we should shower each other in love and gift all year around, but then a tinge of disappointment sets when the day comes and goes and there isn’t something special for me… yes yes I know, hypocrite but I can’t help it!!

What about you?