Valentine, which is Valentinus in Latin, is derived from the word valens which means worth or worthy. One teacher of mine told me that!! Anyways, as the story goes, St Valentine has said to be a saint and a martyr way back the time of the Roman Empire. Apparently, Valentines day had been celebrated in his behalf. There are many stories about St. Valentines’ life but the one that I think you already heard of already is the story of a bishop. It was the reign of the Roman Empire then. Claudius II, emperor of Rome, commanded that soldiers should not marry because their loyalty will be torn between their duty and their family. Valentine believed this to be wrong because he believe that people should be free to marry. Hence, he invited young couples and secretly performed matrimony rites and united these couples. Eventually, Valentine was caught. He was given an option by Claudius II. Renounce his faith and serve the Roman empire and its Gods. In exchange, Valentine will be pardoned and will be considered as one of the emperors’ allies. Valentine refused such invitation and as a consequence, he was beaten, stoned and decapitated. Valentine died on February 14, 270 AD.
Source Of Picture:http://www.flickr.com/photos/whelan/2860171325
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