The History of Valentine’s Past: and a New Bra for Her
The bra’s purpose is twofold: part function; part fantasy. When Valentine’s Day rolls around each year, husbands and boyfriends scramble to find the perfect gift, a bra that works and is comfortable, but also one that is sexy and stylish. This year, in addition to picking out that perfect gift, guys can now recite a little Valentine’s history. It’s the ideal way to give your sweetheart more than she expected. So without further ado, a brief, romantic synopsis of Valentine’s past.
The many statues of Claudius II, emperor of Rome in 268-270 A.D., depict a stern face with corrosive features. His jaw-line has the natural strength of a sycamore tree, his brow arid and sweeping like the longest deserts, and his solving eyes, pupil-less, gaze outward, seeing everything and nothing with benign solidarity. When he died, he was confident of posterity’s reverence.
Valentine was a priest and humble servant of God. His demeanor gentle, his voice wispy and clean, it seemingly snatched the clouds of Heaven. He was handsome and performed weddings with a hand-full of serenity that united the lovers of his time. No statues mark his posterity, but his presence in modern life survives as each year the vibrant merchants of romance tug at his sleeve, hungry for a bit of heat.
The years of Claudius’ rule were tumultuous. The Roman Empire was at war with the Goths, and they needed as many soldiers they could gather. Valentine was also busy, for he was the ceremonial chief of matrimony; his days pulsed with the blushful cheer of love, and war or no war, most Roman men preferred a wife to a sword. When Claudius recognized his army’s depletion, he outlawed marriage, insisting a Roman’s duty was first to the Empire.
On the sly and with much efficiency, Valentine continued to perform marriages. Treason in Claudius’s eyes, Valentine was arrested. There was a trial, and by it’s end, Valentine was sentenced to death. While in jail, Valentine fell in love with the jailor’s daughter, a young woman whose respect for Valentine infatuated into an incarcerated courtship. The night before his death, Valentine composed a letter to his new flame, proclaiming his fire would burn throughout eternity. When he signed, he wrote, “From Your Valentine.”
A year later Claudius was dead. The Roman Empire had prevailed in the war against the Goths. Marriage was once again legal, and once again, people brought their hearts to the altar. Memory is served in history and in Rome with exacting statues of people who fought wars, people who led, people who died. In the end, the Empire fell but the statues survived. Valentine, on the other hand, was a dark commodity, a man appreciated by a portion of the population that wasn’t large enough to validate a statue. Instead he lives on in myth, through love and glory, and once a year, a greeting card and flowers from your honey.
This Valentine’s show your sweetheart that you know what she likes (the perfect bra) and that you know some history (see above). It’s a unique twist on a unique holiday.
About the Author
Michael Russell writes about a variety of subjects, including real estate, environmentalism, and modern architecture. This article discusses lingerie and the history of Valentine’s Day. To learn more about Valentine’s Day lingerie, visit Bits of Lace.
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