Saint Valentine
As we approach the ever-commercialized day of celebrating our Love, I reflected on where this day of love originated and how it become a symbol of enduring love. I’d like to think it’s not just a day for Lovers to express their sentiments but also a day to recognize the power of love and kindness to our fellow humans.
Who was St. Valentine?
According to Italy Magazine in an article written by Luisa Pastore and Silvia Donati, legend has it that there were two men that went by the name Valentine, one in Rome and a Bishop of Terni, a city in Southern Umbria. When marriages were outlawed under the bloody reign of Emperor Claudius III, Valentine of Rome continued to wed couples in secret. His defiant ways were eventually discovered and he was sentenced to death for his tribute to love. While awaiting execution, Valentine befriended the jailer’s daughter. The two fell in love and his final letter before his death, was signed “from your Valentine”.
The other Valentine, Bishop of Terni was a miracle worker curing the child of a prominent Roman official and converting the entire family to Christianity. He was executed for his faith as was the Roman Valentine on February 14th around 270 AD.
How did February 14 become a symbol of Love?
One theory about Valentine’s association to love is a feast day during Roman Lupercalia. Girls’ names were drawn randomly, and the newly matched couples participated in sexual game-playing. Christian Priests have since replaced the old Pagan festivals with feasts dedicated to the saints, although less popular than the Pagan version. I can’t imagine why! As a compromise, priests declared February 14 a feast day of love and romance rather than lust. Yet another legend is that Valentine cultivated a beautiful garden and gave roses to his congregation. A young couple fell in love and others sought the blessing of Valentine in hopes that they too would find lasting love. It became so popular that he had to dedicate one day a year to the blessing of marriages.
Popularity
During the Middle Ages, the traditions of St. Valentine spread to Central and Northern Europe where many of the modern traditions took hold. In Italy, the symbol to celebrate Valentine’s Day is the orange. Oranges are used to decorate cities, celebrated with processions, and even thrown down slopes near the church of San Valentino for good luck.
Much of the Saints life remains a mystery and yet today, the symbol of love is celebrated across the world, 17 centuries after his death. Source Italy Magazine
The Sweet Spot
One of the long-standing traditions of Valentine’s Day is to give chocolates perhaps due to the belief in their aphrodisiac properties.
You can find extraordinary chocolates at a new chocolate shop in town as of June 2021. Senior Murphy Chocolates & Sweets seems like an odd name for a chocolate shop, so I had to find out what was behind the name. Senior Murphy opened his first shop in 1971 in a small adobe building on Sena Plaza in Sante Fe New Mexico. He has expanded to six locations that now includes Salida, Colorado. The family took yearly vacations to Salida, and the owner saw an opportunity to expand in this bustling tourist town. I couldn’t agree more, every town needs a chocolatier.
Generations of Chocolatiers
The family is 4th generation chocolatiers who immigrated from Ireland, hence the name “Murphy”. Having settled in New Mexico, he started infusing flavors of the southwest in the chocolates, adding pinon nuts, green and red chili. Chocolates are handmade in small batches with the freshest ingredients and sourced locally if available. The dark chocolate caramels with red chili are my favorite with rich chocolate, creamy caramel, and a hint of heat. Truly, a must stop on your visit to Salida or Sante fe. Señor Murphy Candymaker (senormurphy.com)
Love of a place
I have the pleasure of living in the small quaint mountain town of Salida Colorado, surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The allure of small-town living has captured my heart. I learned a new term; Topophilia, meaning love of a place. It’s not just the beauty of living alongside the Arkansas River surrounded by many 14,000-foot peaks, it’s about the love that this community embodies. Salida is termed, the heart of the Rockies as it sits almost smack dab in the middle of the state, but it’s also the heart of the people who live here. They are inclusive and giving, the locals slow down for you and wait for you to cross the street, and usually wave. It’s the friends and neighbors that bring you soup when you’re sick and ask if you need groceries. This little funky, artistic, outdoorsy town has captured my heart and I hope you’ll visit and feel the love in Salida in the heart of the Rockies.
How do you show your love?
