By: Elona Scheeres
Ah, Valentine’s Day, the annual celebration of love. Nowadays, a lot of people think of it
as a commercial holiday the card companies and florists have conspired to create, but it
actually has a long history. Its origins are rooted all the way back to ancient Roman
times and the festival called Lupercalia. Lupercalia was an annual festival held from
February 13th-15th that celebrated fertility and love. Even though it had some traditions
that we would consider strange to do on Valentine’s Day today (like sacrificing animals),
it was the prelude to the romantic holiday of Valentine’s Day we have now.
as a commercial holiday the card companies and florists have conspired to create, but it
actually has a long history. Its origins are rooted all the way back to ancient Roman
times and the festival called Lupercalia. Lupercalia was an annual festival held from
February 13th-15th that celebrated fertility and love. Even though it had some traditions
that we would consider strange to do on Valentine’s Day today (like sacrificing animals),
it was the prelude to the romantic holiday of Valentine’s Day we have now.
Valentine’s Day lends its name to Saint Valentine who supposedly married Christian
couples in secret after marriage for young men was outlawed during the third century in
Rome. He is now known as the patron of lovers for his acts of protecting love, even
when it was against the law.
The modern traditions of Valentine’s Day include sending love letters. This tradition can
be traced all the way back to the fifteenth century. “The oldest known valentine still in
existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife
while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of
Agincourt.” (History.com) Since then, sending Valentine’s Day cards has only grown in
popularity. By the 1840s, Esther A. Howland had started mass selling Valentine’s Day
cards to be given to loved ones and significant others. Now over 190 million Valentine’s
Day cards are sent a year, and that’s not even including the ones with characters on
them that are exchanged in schools!
In 1868, Cadbury launched a special Valentine’s Day chocolate set that included a heart
shaped box. The tradition of sending chocolates caught on quickly and the tradition is
now a major part of the modern Valentine’s Day.
Even if you aren’t in a relationship, Valentine’s Day can still be a celebration of love. You
may have seen or heard about “Galentine’s Day” as an alternative or even addition to
Valentine’s Day. Galentine’s Day falls on February 13th and is meant to be a celebration
of friendship between women. This “holiday” has its origins in the hit show Parks and
Recreation. Celebrations for this holiday reflect those of Valentine’s Day with cards,
gifts, chocolate, and parties.
As you enjoy your box of chocolates on February 14th, remember that no matter how
you celebrate or who you celebrate with, Valentine’s Day should be a celebration of
love, whether that be self, platonic, or romantic love.
