Valentine's Day
The origins of St Valentine’s Day are as much of a mystery as love itself. There are several stories of how this day came to be; each is a mixture of history tradition and hearsay. The first official Saint Valentine's Day was declared on 14th of February by Pope Galasius in 496, in memory of a 3rd century martyred priest in Rome.
It is believed that the young priest became famous after betraying Emperor Claudius in 270 AD by conducting illegitimate wedding ceremonies in the capital. The Emperor had claimed that married men made poor soldiers and consequently decreed that all marriages of younger citizens would be outlawed.
The priest however continued to conduct marriages in secret. His success became his downfall. He was jailed and ultimately beheaded, but not before he fell in love with the jailor's daughter. It is thought that on the evening of his execution the bishop passed her a note which read "from your Valentine". This story has blossomed into the defining tradition of Valentine's Day. An estimated one billion cards sent each year, making it the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas.
Another popular legend is based on medieval folklore. It was said that birds chose their mates on February 14th so that became the day for amorous sweethearts to express their feelings. Valentine's Day has spawned celebrations of love beyond western culture. In Japan and Korea, Valentine's has become almost an obligation for women to give chocolates, known as giri-choco, to all of their co-workers. A reciprocal day on 14th of March known as White Day has emerged in recent times whereby men are supposed to thank those who remembered them on Valentine's Day with white chocolate or marshmallows. In Korea there is an additional Black Day, held the following month on the 14th of April, for less fortunate men who did not receive gifts on Valentine's Day to gather together to eat Chinese style black noodles topped with a black sauce.
