Did you know that bees and honey have been tied to romance and love since the first documentation of mankind?
Here is a painting of Cupid complaining to Venus, his mother. He was stung stealing honey from a hive. The moral of the painting, you can’t have the sweetness of love without the danger of getting stung.
Cupid is also said to have dipped his arrows in honey to add sweetness.
In ancient Egypt, Ra the sun god cried tears which became bees to lure back his lost love.
Then there is the honeymoon. Newlyweds would drink mead (alcohol made from honey) for one full cycle of the moon to increase fertility.
In other cultures, brides and grooms would walk through a swarm of bees, and if they didn’t get stung they were meant to be together.
Valentine was a physician and used honey and beeswax in his practice. His story is troubled as he tried to convert people and would also secretly marry Roman soldiers. (Cladius forbade soldiers to get married thinking single men made better soldiers)
So with his connection to love and romance, and bees and honey representing love and romance, Saint Valentine became the patron saint of beekeepers. Who represent the protection of marriage and families.
There are many more great stories, so I may be adding to this article down the road. Enjoy your Valentine’s day and as you feast, a beekeeper is watching over you.
