Editor’s Note – this article by John Lambert first appeared on the Premier Window’s Website. John was nice enough to let us repost the article.
The true story behind St. Valentine’s Day is not one of flowers and chocolates but rather of cruelty and violence that helped shape our modern day Cupid fest. A brave Roman priest during the 3rd century A.D. dared to challenge the powers that be, a move that would end in martyrdom, infamy, and overpriced Hallmark cards.
As Emperor Claudius II was experiencing massive turmoil throughout his kingdom, the Roman Empire was hanging by a thread. Claudius needed all the efficient war power he could get so he made the unpopular decision to ban marriage among young people, believing that unmarried soldiers fought better than married soldiers (Married soldiers had the constant worry of who would take care of their loved ones if they were killed in battle).
This is where Valentine comes on the scene; the courageous priest who believed marriage to be a God-given sacrament. Valentine began officiating marriages in secret but was eventually found out and imprisoned. (The advent of the Valentine’s Day love note may also have come about from Valentine notes being passed through the prison bars, but this may be embellishment to an otherwise tragic story). The priest was quickly and viciously beheaded and he was eventually named a martyr by the Church because he gave up his life to perform the sacrament of marriage: for love of love and love of God.
At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I declared February 14th to be St. Valentine’s Day, and centuries later romantic authors like Geoffrey Chaucer and Shakespeare helped memorialize the occasion with references to the day in their works. The rest, as they say, is history.
Final Thoughts
Whether it’s a door to your heart or a door to your home, a little love goes a long way. Premier Windows offers all types of doors to meet your needs. All of our products at Premier Windows are American made-all of them! We firmly believe in supporting local industries and commerce. We believe in being a part of our community and giving back. We want to give our customers a superior product at a fair price, so we offer 100% satisfaction on all of our work. Our products come with a lifetime limited warranty, and our glass comes with a 25 year/ lifetime breakage warranty.
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