CRI听力:Valentine's Day: Where does the Tradition Come from?

A lot of people these days contend Valentine's Day is a made-up holiday designed to promote the sale of greeting cards and gifts.

And while there may be some argument for that, there is -- admittedly -- a somewhat murky back story as to why February 14th has become known today as "Valentine's Day."

Our story dates back centuries ago, to the Roman Empire, and the martyrdom of two or three Christians named Valentine, who later became canonized as Saints.

At least one of those Valentine's is thought to have been killed on February 14th.

Legend has it that this particular Valentine was martyred by a Roman emperor because he secretly presided over the marriages of young men and women, against the wishes of the Emperor, who wanted only single men to fight in his army.

However, there is no historical evidence to back this up.

But what is widely acknowledged is that the love-element to Valentine's Day can be first traced to the poetry of Geoffry Chaucer.

Chaucer penned a poem in 1382 to mark the anniversary of his King's engagement, and scribed a line -- quote -- "For this was Saint Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate."

From this point, on Valentine's Day became intertwined with love.

But for the synics and pessimists out there who see Valentine's Day as a commercial conspiracy, there is some historical evidence to back this up as well!

The true popularization of Valentine's Day can be traced to late 18th century England, when a British publishing company first started selling paper Valentine's Day cards with tender, and sometimes, racy inscriptions on them.

They became so popular that by the middle of the 19th century, some 1.3-billion British pounds a year were being spent on Valentine's Day gifts.

And while the popularization of Valentine's Day is now ingrained in many parts of the world, February 14th hasn't managed to skirt controversy.

A number of Islamic countries have, in recent years, taken steps to try to ban or limit the celebration of Valentine's Day because of its historical connection to Christianity.

For CRI, I'm Paul James.