Happy Valentine's Day!

Last week in a conversation with one of my sisters, I referred to Valentine’s Day as a Hallmark-created holiday. But wait. What was I thinking? I was giving Hallmark way too much credit.

Valentine’s Day was a Church thing. It has long been set aside as the day for honoring Saint Valentine (in Latin, Valentinus). That would actually be the name of not one but fourteen martyred saints of ancient Rome. The name is derived from valens, meaning powerful, worthy, or strong, and it was popular in Late Antiquity.

We know little of a specific Saint Valentine other than his name and that his burial site is at the Via Flaminia, north of Rome. We don’t even know for certain whether this day is his alone or was meant to commemorate everyone by the same name. Uh, I should qualify that I’m referring to the Roman Catholic version.

The Eastern Orthodox Church sets aside July 5 to celebrate Saint Valentine the Presbyter, and July 30 is for Hieromartyr Saint Valentine, bishop of Interamna, Terni in Italy. Over in the Greek Orthodox Church, anyone named Valentinos or Valentina celebrates his or her name day on February 14. There is no St. Valentine in the Greek Orthodox Church.

In America Valentine’s Day is all about romantic love. (This is where Hallmark and flower sellers and chocolatiers make boatloads of cash.) But south of us in Mexico, February 14 is the “Day of Love and Friendship.” It's as much for friends as for lovers. And over in Russia? Forget it. Valentine's Day has been banned in parts of the country this year. You can follow the link for more.

My husband is out of town today, making it one of the less fun Valentine's Days I've had. Yet today is still a special day for me because I gave my heart to Jesus Christ on Valentine's Day when I was 14. I had gone through the day deeply injured by a friend and feeling lonely and unloved. But then someone shared with me about one who would love me always and never leave me--who had given his life in exchange for mine.

Whether or not you have a significant other, thank God for loving his creation, and tell someone with valens character that you appreciate them. Happy Valentine's Day!

(Art by Erin Teske.)