Saint Valentine Day 2007

Valentine’s Day is a happy occasion in Thailand. This is the second one we’ve celebrated here together. Thais love Valentine’s Day and make a rather big deal of it. It’s likely that most of them don’t realize the day began in honor of a Christian saint.

There are varying opinions as to the origin of Valentine's Day. Some experts state that it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on February 14, 269 A.D., the same day that had been devoted to love lotteries. Legend also says that St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it "From Your Valentine". Other aspects of the story say that Saint Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius then had Valentine jailed for defying him. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honor St. Valentine.

Well, origins hardly matter. It’s wonderful to have at least one day of the year dedicated to love. It would be even better if we celebrated the 14th of every month as a day of love. (Florists would certainly support the notion.)