How sad to be singular on Valentine's Day. Note the apostrophe. There are at least 7 saints named Valentine and they all share the same feast day, Feb.14. Not much is known about any of them. Lets back up to before Christianity. Shepheards had to watch over their flocks all year because of wolves etc. They couldn't come into town to pray to the gods in their temples or attend to other duties. The Romans began to celebrate a festival called Lupercalia, in February, just around shearing time when the shepards would be bringing in the wool and flocks. They drew the names of young women from a box. The young woman chosen was considered the shepards 'partner' for the year. She would go to the temple and say prayers for 'her' shepard. The arraingement was primarily practical but some romances sprung up. The festival continued even after the wolves were no longer a threat, it was fun to draw the names, it was a festival and ever one likes a party. Now forward to the time of the Valentines. Supposidly one of them was a priest during the reign of Emperor Claudius, who was having trouble recruiting and sending soldiers off to war. They didn't wanta leave their wives, families and sweethearts, so Claud prohibited marriage and engagement untill they served.Valentine secretly married several couples, Claud put him in prison. While in prison this Valentine, or one of the other ones, cured the jailors daughter of blindness. OR this Valentine or another one, fell in love with her and signed his billet doux, 'from your Valentine.' Whatever he did it pissed off Claud. Supposedly Valentine or it could have been Valentine, just died, was clubbed,beheaded or killed somehow on feb 14. This or these Valentines became unofficial patrons of romantic love. Over time the 7 knda evolved into one, they or he became a saint in 496 and the official patron of lovers. Meanwhile the Lupercalia is still goin on. Feb 14 is declared the feast day of St. Valentine to replace the pagan feast. At first young people drew the names of Saints, they were s'posed to study and emulate 'their' saint for the year. Well, that was no fun, so about the 1500's they started drawning girls names again. Not every one was happy with the name drawn or the drawer so some girls begin to write 'To Sean' or such on their slips. Eventually the whole name drawing was dropped and the slips were delivered directly. Now of course Hallmark has taken over the lucrative name slip business, Russell Stover, Whitman, and Pangburn are adored more than the saint(s), and the name drawers have been replaced by lingeree from Victoria's Secret.

It is important so that people take some time and think about their spouse or significant other and how important they are in your life. However we should always remember that special person. So it's important, but we don't necessarily need a day for it, Maybe some people forget about that special person and need reminders, I don't know.

not for me

St Valentine, but he had no G/F

not to some of us that dont have boyfriends

Not important to me but very important to my GF.