Who will be my Valentine?

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Now, one wonders:

Does anyone here appropriately celebrate the day on which formerly in the western church was celebrated our father among the saints Valentinus?

And does anybody know why he - or they - were removed from the calendar? I can imagine some possible causes. but that would be bald speculation.

I don't think any holiday is celebrated as it was once meant. Holidays have become commercialized and diluted.

From what I remember, there was more than one "Valentine".

Wikipedia alleges perhaps 14 - I never heard of more than two. A common name - what with emperors Valens and Valentinian.

But why would the Vatican - around 68 - drop Valentine?

Was this the same Valentinus who founded the Valentinean school of Gnosticism that popular back in the mid 5th century AD? If it is I think the answer is pretty intuitive.

(oops, answered my own question - mmm....mo. Valentinus must have been a rather popular name)

Do you celebrate St. Swithen's Day? Or St. Joseph's Day? Or any feast day of any saint?

According to Wiki there where dozens of St. Valentines's in the late Roman days.
The one who was celebrated on Feb. 14 was buried along a road in northern Italy in a certain year in the Fifth Centurey AD.
His name and buriel are the only facts we know about him. Even ancient sources say in effect "we dont know what he did but he did something great, so he deserves to be considered a saint". He got himself matryed for some reason- that much was accepted at one point- but so did hundreds of other saints.

His career is not known to have had anything to do with romantic love.
The Catholic church did not declare him the patron saint of lovers- nor of any kind of person.
Since we know so little about him I cant imagine how one would "celebrate" his day the "appropriate" or untainted "original" way.

The Greek Orthodox Church never recognized any saint named "Valentine".

The fact that there were so many late Roman saints named "Valentine" , and the fact we dont know squat about ANY ot them is why the Roman Catholic Church fired the popular saint (along with many other popular but apacraphal saints) in the late 20th centurey.

A thousand years after his supposed death his feast day came to be associated with courtship in Chaucer's England, for some unknown reason. Or thats what it sez in Wiki.

So if his feast day hadnt become "distorted" and "commercialized" St.V would get no more attention than any other saint- indeed probably less attention than the better documented later saints.

So I dont know what you're worried about.

If Hallmark didnt exploit him we would never speak his name at all.

I do concede that it is unfortunate that the only time you hear the phrase "SAINT Valentine's Day" ( instead of just "Valentines Day") is when you hear about the grisly mass murder of gangsters by rival gangsters in the roaring twenties known as "the St. Valentine's Day Massacre".I dont think St V would like that association. But he wouldnt mind being "exploited" by Hallmark at all.

naturalplastic -

no, I do not in any traditional way celebrate the saints in any of the calendars. There is one saint's day I signalize, but I ain't telling you which or why.

You adduce a number of the possible reasons I thought up - does not sound as if you have direct knowledge, unless I mishear you, but I know that somewhere in there the See of Rome did a housecleaning of the calendar, not as complete a job as the Anglicans made of it, but I know Christopher went back into the ether.

I am certainly not complaining about the fact that the Valentine mythology nothing identifiable in common with a demoted saint whom I did not venerate anyway. I found out his show was cancelled and got curious. I do that.

But I have to think you are wrong - I would like to think at least half of the Saints Valentine, plus the Gnostic techstepgener8tion mentions, would be as disturbed at having their name attached to St Hallmark's Day as I would be. I remember being bothered by the event - and its inclusion in school work - as early as 3rd grade.

In those days events did not get pulled from school because someone could feel offended or excluded. I did - would today. But they might not dump it for me - Hallmark trumps sensitivities.

Valentine's day dates back to Pagan times.

The Pope, St. Gregory the Great gave the ok for Christian missionaries to turn pagan holidays into Christian holidays by making saints of the pagan gods. For example "Easter" is the pagan goddess of spring.

Some years ago they cleaned up their lists and dropped a bunch of saints.
Tough luck for St Valentine, St Christoper and Santa Claus.

I THINK St Nicholas is still alive and well and based in Bari.

Papists in the vicinity, please weigh in with confirmation one way of the other.

Cute, but no, Santa Claus - St. Nicholas - is very much a historical figure and still gets a feast day (so yes, I do believe in Santa) . He was a bishop back during the early 300s; legend has him giving poor people 'anonymous' gifts and Arius a punch in the nose. One of those became popular custom and one did not - people who can't wait for Christmas can put their shoes out the night before his feast day (Dec. 6) and wake up in the morning to find them filled with candy. By the saint himself, of course.

St. Nicholas is still venerated. I recall much about him during Advent from Lutheran, Catholic, and Orthodox Christian friends. His feast day is alive and well with many rich customs, depending upon where you are in the world.

Well he still got the boot from the Catholic calendar of saints.

Don't agree? Take it up with the Pope.

That is why the poor guy has to make a living having his picture taken in suburban malls.

He did? He's still listed in my books and online catholic calendars.


Catholic.org

Nope. Still kicking.

Perhaps he cannot find Claus on the roster?

Actually, could we not insert punching heretics into the festivities? Very satisfying, and Hallmark could design a card for long distance "punches".

In my Latin class play presented at the Christmas festivities I got to play the good saint. I think I was not bad - there were some moments the house seemed to appreciate. In Greece of course St Basil does the gift thing sans caribou, and so Nicholas gets to stay home.