Valentine’s day is celebrated every year on February 14th. But why do we choose this day to celebrate love and romanticism? How did this holiday begin?
Well, Valentine’s day has no clear origin story. Some say that it started with St. Valentine in ancient Rome, during the reign of Claudius II (268-270 AD). Problem is, there was likely more than just one St. Valentine living around this time. There are many varying accounts as to what they did to become a symbol for romance, but most accounts agree that a St. Valentine/St. Valentines were killed. He/they were considered martyrs for the Catholic Church, and as such had a holiday named after he/them, St. Valentine’s Day. What got he/them killed is somewhat disputed, but it likely had something to do with love and romance. Some sources say that St. Valentine married young couples in secret, which was forbidden at the time, and so he was beheaded as punishment.
There is more to this explanation than some martyrs, though. The Roman feast of Lupercalia was celebrated from February 13th-15th. I care not to explain what the Romans did in celebration, but it was, uh, wild. The Catholic Church, in an attempt to tame these, um, unrestrained celebrations, combined St. Valentine’s Day with the feast of Lupercalia. The meaning of the holiday generalized, and was romanticized in writing by Shakespeare and others.
And what about the cards? Exchanging small tokens was common in the 1800’s, and by 1910, commercialization of Valentine’s Day was in full bloom. Factory made cards became the norm, and today Valentine’s Day is the second biggest card sending holiday, after Christmas. Hallmark, the popular card maker, estimates that 145 million cards are sent for this holiday alone.
And now you know the real origin story of Valentine’s Day: some (probably) people (probably) named Valentine were (probably) beheaded and the Catholic Church made a holiday out of it. So enjoy your Friday knowing that, long ago, some (probably) people (probably) died so that you can give candy to your crush. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Sources:
History.com