Known for chocolates, roses, and Hallmark cards, Valentine’s Day is a day to spend with your special someone. Whatever your opinions may be, the holiday is not foreign to any of us. In a society where school children give a Valentine to their classmates, Valentine’s Day will always be a celebrated holiday.
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While it is commonplace during this time period, Valentine’s Day has not always been celebrated. Tracing the history back to its beginning, there are accounts of two saints, a Pagan festival, and a poet that are all believed to have some ties to the creation of the holiday we know today.
Who is St. Valentine?
The name Valentine was given to many in the past, but two are believed to have connections with the [origin] Valentine’s Day.
The first is a priest in the third century of Rome who was sentenced to death by Emperor Claudius II. When imprisoned he sent his jailor’s daughter a letter signed “From your Valentine” before being beheaded on February 14th.
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The other account is of a bishop named Valentine. After the decree from Emperor Claudius II banning young men from marriage because single men made better soldiers, Valentine began to secretly wed couples. After his discovery, he was sentenced to death and beheaded on February 14th.
What is Lupercalia?
While the connection to Valentine’s Day is unknown, scholars believe the pagan Christian festival of Lupercalia held in Rome on February 15, is relevant to the holiday.
It was known as a fertility festival that began with the sacrifice of a dog and goat. Once the ceremony was over, the goat’s hide was then used to hit women believed to increase fertility in the coming year.
In the later stages of the festival, women would place their names into an urn for men to randomly select to pair up with for the night. Many couples that took part in the tradition stayed together and later married.
Who is the Poet, Geoffrey Chaucer?
As unlikely as it may be, Geoffery Chaucer, a medieval English poet may have had the greatest influence on the creation of Valentine’s Day.
In his poem, Parliament of Foules written in 1375, Chaucer wrote, “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s Day. Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.” This were one of the first historical sayings to connect February 14 with the theme of love.
With that poem, whether on purpose or not, Chaucer aided in the creation of the romantic holiday, Valentine’s Day.
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Thoughts on Valentine’s Day
Knowing about where the holiday originated from is important to the tradition of celebrating Valentine’s Day. Understanding new perspectives from society today is just as vital.
Valentine’s Day is thought to be solely focused on one’s significant other by taking them on a nice dinner, showing love for them with presents, and spending quality time. The beauty of it is that the holiday can be for friends, family, and anyone in between.
After interviewing a few individuals on the subject, one woman gave the meaning of what Valentine’s Day meant to her.
“Valentine’s Day is not just a day to appreciate one’s spouse or partner, but a time to show the people around you that you love them.”
Some people believed that the holiday is more enjoyable when in an intimate relationship but some Valentine’s Day celebrators believe that it’s a day to show one’s appreciation or care for anyone. While this holiday has some mystery of where it originated, Valentine’s Day is mainly spent with the ones we love and care about.
