Download Wallpapers of Love,Valentines Day,Love Hearts,Love
Designs,Love Stock Photos,Love Vectors in High Quality HD Resolutions. Love is
in the air! February 14 is coming and it's time to set the right mood for the
upcoming Valentine's Day. Free Valentines Day wallpapers and Valentines Day
backgrounds for your computer desktop.
The history of Valentine's Day--and the story of its patron
saint--is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been
celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine's Day, as we know it
today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.
The History of Valentine's Day:
The origins of Valentine's Day trace back to the ancient
Roman celebration of Lupercalia. Held on February 15, Lupercalia honored the
gods Lupercus and Faunus, as well as the legendary founders of Rome, Romulus
and Remus.
In addition to a bountiful feast, Lupercalia festivities are
purported to have included the pairing of young women and men. Men would draw
women's names from a box, and each couple would be paired until next year's
celebration.
While this pairing of couples set the tone for today's
holiday, it wasn't called "Valentine's Day" until a priest named
Valentine came along. Valentine, a romantic at heart, disobeyed Emperor
Claudius II's decree that soldiers remain bachelors. Claudius handed down this
decree believing that soldiers would be distracted and unable to concentrate on
fighting if they were married or engaged. Valentine defied the emperor and
secretly performed marriage ceremonies. As a result of his defiance, Valentine
was put to death on February 14.
.gif)
.gif)