| February 14, 2007 | Vol 8. No. 9 |
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Happy Valentine’s Day!
Quick Quiz…Who Was St. Valentine?
a) A priest in the Roman Empire who helped persecuted Christians during the reign of Claudius II, was thrown in jail and later beheaded on Feb. 14.
b) A Catholic bishop of Terni who was also beheaded during the reign of Claudius II.
c) Someone who secretly married couples when marriage was forbidden, or suffered in Africa, or wrote letters to his jailer’s daughter, and was likely beheaded.
d) All, some or maybe none of the above.
The answer is actually d. Although the mid-February holiday which celebrates love and lovers remains wildly popular, the confusion over its origins led the Catholic Church, in 1969, to drop St. Valentine’s Day from the Roman calendar of official, worldwide Catholic feasts.
The origins of St. Valentine’s Day celebrations stem from the ancient Roman fertility festival Lupercalia, which was celebrated on February 15. During the festival, young women placed their names into a large urn. The young men drew a name from the urn and would then be romantically linked with that young woman for the following year. There was also a belief in Europe during the Middle Ages that birds chose their partners in the middle of February. Thus, the day was dedicated to love. To observe it, people would write love letters and send small gifts to their beloved.
Sources: Americancatholic.org, newadvent.org
President’s Day Shutdown
The college will be closed, except for essential operating personnel, on Monday, February 19 in observance of the President’s Day Holiday.