Valentine’s Day, celebrated annually on February 14th, is a day dedicated to love and affection. While it is now synonymous with romantic gestures, its origins are rooted in a blend of history, legend, and tradition.
The history of Valentine’s Day dates back to ancient Rome, where the festival of Lupercalia was celebrated from February 13th to 15th. This pagan festival was dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. During Lupercalia, priests would sacrifice goats and dogs, and then use the hides to whip women, believing it would make them fertile.
The transition from Lupercalia to Valentine’s Day began with the rise of Christianity. In the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I replaced Lupercalia with St. Valentine’s Day, to honor one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The most popular legend involves St. Valentine of Rome, a priest who was executed on February 14th, around 270 AD, for defying Emperor Claudius II’s ban on marriage for young men. Claudius believed that single men made better soldiers. Valentine continued to perform marriages in secret and was eventually caught and sentenced to death. According to legend, he fell in love with his jailer’s daughter and wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression still in use today.
Valentine’s Day gained popularity in the Middle Ages, particularly in England and France. It was believed that February 14th was the beginning of birds’ mating season, adding to the idea that the day should be a celebration of love. The first recorded association of Valentine’s Day with romantic love is found in Geoffrey Chaucer’s 1375 poem “Parliament of Foules,” where he wrote, “For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate.”
By the 18th century, Valentine’s Day had evolved into an occasion where lovers expressed their feelings with flowers, sweets, and cards, known as “valentines.” The tradition of sending valentines became widespread in the 19th century, with the advent of mass-produced greeting cards.
Today, Valentine’s Day is celebrated worldwide, with couples exchanging gifts, enjoying romantic dinners, and expressing their love in various ways. While its origins are steeped in history and legend, Valentine’s Day has evolved into a widely celebrated occasion marked by various traditions and customs.
Delaney Collins
Staff Reporter
