About all that February has going for it besides cold, snow, and dreary days, is Valentine’s Day. We would not have that if several things in history had not occurred. Although they cannot agree on the origin of Valentine’s Day, one popular explanation is that Valentine, a young Roman Christian was martyred on February 14 by Emperor Claudius II for refusing to give up Christianity. Rumor has it that Valentine, as a priest, defied the emperor’s ban on marriages by marrying young people in secret. According to legend in the 3rd C. after Christ, the Emperor Claudius II did not want any of his soldiers falling in love and marrying because he felt women and families distracted the soldiers from their duty to him. In the 5th C. Pope Galasius issued an edict that February 14 should be set aside as a day to honor Valentine. Now we can marry and have Valentine’s Day.