History Loves Valentine’s

Valentine’s Day, believe it or not, is NOT a Hallmark Holiday. It’s not even a holiday that originated in America! And…if you’re not shocked yet…all the sarcasm intended, it may send you over the edge to know that the original story isn’t even close to romantic.

What you’re seeing here is the skull of the ancient Roman Martyr named St. Valentine who died on February 14th 269. This skull resides in a church in Rome and is still largely debated to this day over whether or not it’s THE skull in which Valentine’s Day was inspired by. By and large, St. Valentine was actually not a single person, but 10-14 persons. Turns out, that name was fairly popular back in Late Antiquity (the period between the 3rd and 7th century).

As far as anyone can tell, the Saint Valentine of Valentine’s Day was one of two guys preaching the good word in Rome in the third century. One of these two was martyred on February 14th 269, thus giving us the date for his eponymous day.

How did we get from this guy to cards, diamonds, and fun date nights out? Well, we didn’t. In the 14th century, a poet by the name of Geoffrey Chaucer created a connection between St. Valentine’s day and love poems when he penned “Parlement of Foules.” Shortly after he mentioned love on St. Valentine’s Day, real life lovers started sharing love notes and poems with one another every February 14th.

It’s safe to say that lovers have shared this special day for over 500 years. At this point, it’s not going anywhere. So, as the old saying goes, “If you can’t beat em, join em!” At No. 5 Bistro & Bar, we decided to do just that. Starting tomorrow night, we will be offering a special Valentine’s Day meal for our lovers for the entire weekend. You can also enjoy this on the actual Valentine’s Day next week. Call us NOW for the last few remaining reservations. After all, history loves company.