That Funny Valentinus

It's the day for lovers to declare their love, with jewels (if you believe the TV commercials) or as many valentines as you can collect (if you're in grade school.) Flowers, candy and other industries live off this day.

But like lots of commercial holidays, what it's come to may have little to do with its origin. The original St. Valentine is unknown except as legend--the Catholic Church took him off the calendar of saints because of this. There is a known Valentinus that some believe is the origin of the day's tradition of "valentines." But this Valentine was not a stud or a babe, but a monk and a poet (and no saint. Something of a heretic in his youth.) He didn't declare his love to one favored beloved. He wasn't even young:

Our tradition of sending notes on Valentine's Day originated with an Italian monk, Valentinus, who drifted off in his old age into an unquenchable love of everyone around him...

For enjoyment he began writing notes of appreciation and devotion to more and more people; finally elders at the monastery allowed him to stay in his cell and do nothing but pour out his love by way of his small notes.