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iniesta camiseta,
The history and importance of Valentine's Day will become more than evident this February 14th, with widespread gestures of affection, hope and love. With so much pessimism and bad news in the world today, Valentine's Day is a welcome opportunity to bring optimism, hope and love to the forefront of our minds. But with so much commercialism attached to many religious festivals and national days of importance, it is easy to overlook the history, meaning and importance of Valentine's Day. How did this day originate, and why are Roman images of Cupid associated strongly with a Christian Saint, at a time of importance to Pagan traditions?

Of the many millions who will be celebrating, or taking the opportunity to make tentative moves, or even propose this February 14th, there is no doubt that many faiths will be represented, and many who have no particular faith at all. Perhaps because the concept of love is at the heart of this occasion, there is barely a soul on earth who cannot appreciate its relevance. But beyond the commercialism, the expensive cards, the hand-tied bouquets and the luxury boxes of chocolates, Valentine's has a mixed and fascinating history, and even the truth about who Valentine really was is shrouded in much speculation and myth.

The origins of this day lie in pagan times, although Valentine's Day has seen a remarkable transition from pagan tradition to religious festival, and from religious festival to a day of national celebration ? some might argue, of commercial celebration. For most of us, wherever we live in the world, and whatever our beliefs, February 14th has a long standing reputation for being a day of romance and of love. In some cases this is seen as being the love of one person for another in a romantic way, but elsewhere Valentine's Day is seen more as an opportunity to make small gestures towards friends.

February 14th used to be a Roman custom, very much within the pagan tradition. It was the Eve of Lupercalia, and was primarily a festival of fertility. The tradition in Rome was to hold what was effectively a lottery, where boys and girls were paired off with each other at random. Many of these pairings evolved into firm friendships and even marriages. Throughout the following days of the feast other pagan traditions of a less romantic bent would be carried out, including ritual sacrifices, bathing in blood, and camiseta de futbol baratas whipping in the streets.

Needless to say, when the Catholic Church stepped in, many of these traditions were stopped, and although the love lottery survived, boys were paired with saints rather than girls, and this is when Saint Valentine became synonymous with the date.

It isn't easy to be clear who exactly Valentine was, since there are eleven different Saint Valentines recorded by the Catholic Church. However, three in particular stand out, two of camiseta iniesta which are thought to be the most likely contenders. The first of these St Valentines was a Christian Priest who was executed on February 14th in 269 AD. The emperor of Rome at the time, Claudius II had passed a law banning marriage, because a significant number of men were getting married as a way to avoid the obligation which they would otherwise face of joining the army. St Valentine carried out many secret marriages however, and during the time when he was waiting to be executed, many romantic couples sent him letters in support of love over war. It was in 496 AD that Pope Gelasius decreed that February 14th should be set as a day to honour him ? neatly converting the pagan traditions into a iniesta camiseta Catholic celebration.

The other possible St Valentine was also a priest who was imprisoned for helping Christians. Whilst imprisoned he fell in love with the daughter of his jailer, with his many secret notes and letters being signed ‘from your Valentine'. He was eventually beheaded.

But how did this religious celebration become so associated with romantic love, and far less associated with religion, or Saint Valentine himself? The most likely moment when romance became associated is in 1381 when Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a poem in honour of the engagement between Richard II of England and Anne of Bohemia. This poem, entitled ‘The Parliament of Fowls' is the first known case of linking engagement, the mating season and Saint Valentine's together, and may well have caused the increased importance and romantic connotations we see today.