Valentine's Day is celebrated annually on February 14th and has evolved into a day of love, expressions of affection and romance. However, its roots trace back to a blend of early Christian martyrs, medieval romantic ideals, and Roman traditions.
Understanding how this global celebration came about offers a fascinating glimpse into culture and history.
The Christian Connection
Valentine's Day as we know it today also has ties to early Christian martyrs named Valentine. There are multiple accounts of saints named Valentine, but two are most cited in connection to the holiday.
The first Saint Valentine was a priest in third-century Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men, believing that single men made better soldiers. Valentine defied the decree and performed secret marriages for young couples. Valentine was later arrested for his defiance and eventually executed on February the 14th 269 AD.
Another story tells of a Valentine who helped Christians escape the Roman prisons. According to legend, Valentine fell in love with a jailer's daughter and, before his execution he wrote a letter signed "From your Valentine," a phrase that we still use to this day.
These stories of love and sacrifice cemented Saint Valentine as a symbol of romantic devotion.
In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius I officially declared February 14th as Saint Valentine's Day, likely to Christianize the pagan celebrations of Lupercalia.
The Roman Roots
Valentine's Day is believed to have origins in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia which is celebrated from February 13th to the 15th. This fertility festival honoured Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and Romulus and Remus, the mythical founders of Rome.
During Lupercalia, priests called Luperci, would sacrifice dogs and goats as part of the rituals to purify the city and encourage fertility. Women would often participate by being symbolically "whipped" with strips of goat hide, a practice thought to promote fertility.
Lupercalia also included matchmaking elements, where men and women were paired off through a lottery system. Whilst the festival itself was more about fertility than love, its themes and timing of pairing likely influenced the later traditions associated with Valentine's Day.
The Role of Medieval Romanticism
Valentine's Day gathered further momentum during the Middle Ages when the concept of courtly love flourished in Europe. Geoffrey Chaucer, a poet is often credited with linking Valentine's Day to romantic love. In his poems from 1382, Parliament of Fowls, Chaucer write about birds choosing their mates on "Seynt Valentine's Day." This literary association cemented February 14th as a day for lovers.
By the 15th century, the tradition of exchanging love noted began, with cards that were handmade becoming popular. These notes often featured the Roman god of love, declarations of affection, poetry, and Cupid.
Modern Valentine's Day
By the 18th and 19th centuries, Valentine's Day evolved into a more commercial celebration, with handwritten cards being replaced by printed ones. Today, it is a global phenomenon marked by gifts such as romantic dinners, chocolates, and flowers.
Though its origins are steeped in religious history and ancient rituals, Valentine's Day has become a universal celebration of connection and love, transcending its beginnings to bring joy to millions worldwide.
