Happy Valentines Day everybody! As we speak, I'm nibbling on some candy hearts and a Chocolove chocolate bar as most people all over the United States have probably done at some point today. But do you know where this tradition stems from? We watched a short video in class about Valentine's Day, but I thought I'd do some of my own research to inform the rest of the blogging world.

There are lots of different stories about who St. Valentine was, but one particularly interesting one caught my attention. The Catholic Church recognizes a Priest named Valentine who served during the 3rd century in Rome. Apparently, during this time the Emperor of Rome realized that married men made bad soldiers, so he did the only reasonable thing, he outlawed marriage (as if that would keep men from pursuing women). Valentine was outraged by this decree and continued to preform marriages for young lovers. When the Emperor found out about this, he put Valentine to death.

In the video we watched in class, it was a different story. They made Valentine out to be a prisoner who fell in love with the jailor's daughter. He sent her the first valentine, and at the end it was signed "From your Valentine." Aww. He was put to death, too.

Either way, St. Valentine sounds like quite the romantic figure and we still celebrate his martyrdom today by stuffing our faces with chocolate and sometimes crying about our sad lives (for those of us (like me) who are single). Well. Go out and treat yourself to some candy and roses. And don't feel guilty for the extra carbs, it's all in honor of St. Valentine. Cheers!<3