Happy Valentine’s Day from the Jefferson County Post!

Despite the popularity of Valentine’s Day as a commercial holiday, the celebration’s roots are not widely agreed upon. Originating as a religious holiday, Valentine’s Day once lived up to its namesake: the holiday celebrated the life of St. Valentinus. The contention between historians comes from the fact that there is no general consensus on who exactly the St. Valentinus was. In the early days of Christianity, Valentinus was a popular name, meaning that several eventual martyrs bore the name. Despite this disagreement, the most popular legend of St. Valentinus is that of St. Valentinus of Rome, who was martyred in the middle 490s A.D. for ministering to Christians and preforming illegal marriage rites. Other St. Valentines have been suspected of being the holiday’s inspiration, though precious little is known about the lives of many of these individuals. Regardless of the inspiration, the holiday has become widely celebrated throughout the world, primarily excluding Islamic states where the modern tradition of displays of romantic love could violate religious or cultural codes. In the United States, candies, cards, and flowers are among the most popular gifts for loved ones to exchange, and the holiday has expanded to include friends and family in recent decades. In fact, according to the Greeting Card Association, over 145 million units (cards) are sold every Valentine’s Day. Taking into account that cards can range from fifty cents to ten dollars means that profits regularly top the one billion mark. These numbers have not declined significantly since the advent of social networking, proving that true love is still worth the price of a postage stamp.

Source: Jake Depew, Assistant Editor