No one really knows who St Valentine was; there are several conflicting candidates. And the tradition of St Valentine’s day as a day to celebrate romance may be a game played on us by Chaucer, co-opting a pagan festival. But no matter. For our purposes, we will consider St Valentine to be the one imprisoned for marrying Christian couples in Rome, and eventually martyred for attempting to convert the Emporer, around 270 CE.
But regardless, he is the patron saint of affianced couples, and a modern symbol of romance. So in the spirit of the day, we wish Happy Valentine’s Day to all couples who walk together in love.
Image: Saint Valentine receives a rosary from the Virgin, by David Teniers III (from Wikipedia)
