Who is Saint Valentine? | OpenRice Singapore

We all know that the 14th of February is a very special day. Known as Valentine’s Day, it is the time when we show our loved ones how much more they mean to us through romantic gestures such as giving them greeting cards, gifts. As for you special someone, you always take them out for a romantic dinner for 2 at some fancy restaurant.

We always celebrate this come this day, but have you ever wondered how this celebration all began? Though the history of Valentine’s Day is a bit blurry, one popular version states that this occasion began with Saint Valentine, a priest in Rome during the 3rd Century. During this time, the country was ruled by Emperor Claudius II, who had this ludicrous fixation of expanding his army. For him, the only way he could accomplish this goal was to ban marriage. He thought that if he did, it would prevent men from falling in love and would be enticed to join his army. During the time were priests were not allowed to wed couples, Saint Valentine defied this order and still performed marriages in secret. Later on, he was caught and was thrown into prison. As a way of saying thank you, the couples he helped also threw flowers and letters to his prison window. One of the couples he wed was the prison guard’s daughter so she was allowed to visit him inside. They became good friends and on the day that he was about to be out to death on 14 February, he left his friend a letter which was signed, “Love from your Valentine”. Thus, legend states, began the exchange of Valentine Cards on this day. To this day, you would often see couples exchanging love notes with each other. They have also added new traditions such as giving of gifts and having memorable dinners. Much has changed over the years, but one thing remains the same… Valentine’s Day is celebrated to make us remember to appreciate our loved ones more. Here are some restaurants for an enjoyable valentine day Check out here for more fine dining options in Singapore