[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 14, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H619-H620]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

  (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Valentine's Day. 
The day began to honor St. Valentine. Some believe that he was a priest 
who married Romans in love to defy an emperor's ban. Others believe he 
helped Christians escape brutal Roman prisons.
  Either way, the spread of Christianity helped February 14 become St. 
Valentine's Day in the fifth century.

[[Page H620]]

  Europeans associated the day with love because it coincided with the 
mating season for some birds in Europe.
  My favorite English poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, first wrote about St. 
Valentine's Day as a celebration of love in 1375.
  In 1415, the Duke of Orleans wrote the first valentine to his wife 
while in prison in the Tower of London.
  Today, at least 30 countries celebrate Valentine's Day, and an 
estimated 145 million Valentine's Day cards will be sent out.
  If you have been busy, I encourage all my colleagues to pick up some 
chocolates and flowers before you head home tonight.

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