We think of Valentine's Day as a happy day where we exchange cards and candy with friends and loved ones. But does anyone really know the tragic story behind this tradition?
The History of this celebration is really unclear, but what seems to be clear is that St. Valentine was martyred on this day in 278 A.D.
What did St. Valentine do to deserve a martyr's death? According to the History Channel, he arranged for couples to marry. That was a good thing to do. But Rome was under the rule of Claudius the Cruel ( how would you like your country's ruler to be named 'the Cruel'?). He was truly a cruel man. Claudius believed that the Roman army needed to be strengthened and that men were unwilling to be part of the army simply because they had wives and families, which they were attached to.
Claudius passed a law forbidding people to marry, but St. Valentine secretly married couples. Of course, Valentine was eventually caught and he was ordered to be executed. He was beheaded on this day in the year of 278 A.D.
Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/st-valentine-beheaded
