VALENTINE’S DAY BITS’N’PIECES

 

It wasn't until 1537 that St. Valentine's Day was declared an official holiday. England's King Henry VIII declared February 14th a holiday in 1537 for the first time.

On February 14, 1779, the natives of Hawaii murdered Captain James Cook the great English explorer and navigator.

Some people believed that if a woman saw a robin-flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor and if she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a very rich person.

The Taj Mahal at Agra, India is perhaps the most splendid gift of love. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beautiful wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Work on the Taj began in 1634 and continued for almost 22 years. It took the labor of 20,000 workers from all over India and Central Asia.

In England, the Romans, who had taken over the country, had introduced a pagan fertility festival held every February 14. After the Romans left England, Pope Gelsius, who established St. Valentine's Day as a celebration of love in 496 A.D abolished the pagan ritual.