What is Valentine's Day?
Valentine's Day is celebrated on the 14th of February every year. It is a time to celebrate love and friendship and the joy of having other people in your life. It's a day of flowers, candy and cards decorated with hearts.
Although today it is a day of love and joy, the origin of this special day is not so rosy.
Origin of Valentine's Day
There are many theories on how Valentine's Day began, but the most noted one begins in Rome in the year 268. Emperor Claudius II wanted a fierce team of young men to fight in his armies. But he found out that when young men are in love or sharing their lives with a wife and children, they tended to be more cautious.
So, Claudius outlawed marriage for those young men to keep them focused on fighting.
But even though Claudius outlawed love, he could not stop it. Young men and women still fell in love and wanted to become couples in the eyes of the church. During that time, there was a brave-and obviously romantic-priest named Valentine who thought the law was horribly unjust.