Valentine’s Day

As we approach Valentine’s Day this Saturday, I thought I’d share a bit about the history of this holiday.

Valentine's Day is a fascinating blend of ancient Roman rituals, Christian martyrdom, and medieval literature. It’s evolution from a somber religious feast to a commercial holiday of romance spans1,500 years.

The Ancient Roman Roots: Lupercalia

Before it was a day for lovers, mid-February was the time of Lupercalia (February 13–15). This was an ancient, somewhat rowdy pagan festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus.

• Fertility Rituals: Roman priests (Luperci) would sacrifice goats and dogs, then use strips of the goat hide to gently slap women and crop fields—a practice believed to bestow fertility for the coming year.

  
  

• Matchmaking: Legend has it that young women would place their names in a large urn, and the city's bachelors would choose a name to become paired with that woman for the duration of the festival, often leading to marriage.

The Mystery of Saint Valentine

The holiday's name comes from Saint Valentine, but historians aren't entirely sure which one. The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

• The Secret Weddings: The most popular legend claims Valentine was a 3rd-century priest in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II banned marriage for young men (believing single men made better soldiers), Valentine defied him and performed marriages in secret.

  
  

• The First "Valentine": Another story suggests Valentine was killed for helping Christians escape Roman prisons. While imprisoned, he allegedly fell in love with his jailer's daughter and sent her the first "valentine" note before his execution, signed "From your Valentine."

  
  

• The Date: Pope Gelasius I officially declared February 14 as St. Valentine's Day in 496 AD likely as an attempt to "Christianize" the pagan Lupercalia festival.

  
  

Evolution into a Day of Romance

For centuries, the day remained a religious feast without romantic connotations. That changed in the Middle Ages:

• Chaucer's Influence: In 1382, poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote Parlement of Foules, which linked St. Valentine’s Day to the mating season of birds. This is widely considered the first recorded association of the day with romantic love.

  
  

• Courtly Love: During the 14th and 15th centuries, the "courtly love" tradition flourished in France and England, making the exchange of love notes and flowers a popular custom among the nobility.

  
  

• Mass Production: By the 18th century, friends and lovers exchanged small tokens and handwritten notes. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland (the "Mother of the Valentine") began mass-producing elaborate lace cards in America, turning the holiday into the commercial powerhouse it is today.  Happy Valentine’s Day!