VALENTINE’S OFFER: ROMANTIC FJORD CRUISE ON THE OSLOFJORD 💕

A Short History of Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day has roots stretching back to Roman times, when the goddess Juno – protector of women and marriage – was honored, marking the beginning of the Lupercalia festival, a fertility celebration starting on February 15. Over time, Valentine’s Day became a Christian liturgical celebration dedicated to saints named Valentine.

The most famous legend centers on St. Valentine of Rome, a priest who secretly performed marriages for soldiers, defying Emperor Claudius II Gothicus’ orders. St. Valentine was imprisoned for his bravery and faith, and before his execution in AD 270, he penned a farewell letter to his beloved Julia, signing it “…from your Valentine.” He is also said to have healed the jailer’s daughter, further cementing his legacy as a protector of love.

During the Middle Ages, Valentine’s Day took on a romantic tone, notably through Geoffrey Chaucer’s poem The Parliament of Fowls, where birds find their mates for the season of love. Thus, St. Valentine became a symbol of love and romance – a tradition that lives on to this day. 💞