For many, Valentine’s Day is a day for love and affection. However, many are unaware of the history behind the holiday, or only have a vague understanding of its historical significance or Christian and pagan traditions.
Our story starts in the Roman Empire in the 3rd Century. Emperor Claudius II famously banned marriages and engagements, as he wanted men to remain single without familial ties, so as to turn them into better warriors.
Despite this, Valentinus, as he was known in Latin, married Christian couples. Effectively defying the emperor’s decree.
St. Valentine would be imprisoned. While he was imprisoned, it is believed that he made friends with a blind girl and would heal her, restoring her sight. It is believed that he left the girl a note that read “From your Valentine,” starting the ancient tradition.
On Feb. 14, 270 CE, Valentine would be beaten and beheaded in Rome, effectively making him a martyr. St. Valentine is known as the Patron Saint of Lovers and engaged couples.
Some historians debate whether or not Valentine was a single person, or if he was multiple people, both Christians figures blending into the single legend of St. Valentine.
Valentine’s Day borrows heavily from the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a similar celebration and sacrifice promoting health and fertility, held around the same time as well.
In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius I declared February 14 to be the feast day of Saint Valentine, in an attempt to replace Lupercalia and Christianize the tradition.
By the 14th Century, Geoffrey Chaucer popularized the holiday with love and affection, also believing that mid-February was the mating season of birds. Heading into the 18th Century, it became common for English couples to show love to each other by giving flowers and sweets around that time, leading to the modern custom of candy being given during Valentine’s Day.
By the Industrial Revolution in the 19th Century, the mass production of greeting cards and sweets began, leading to the monetization of the holiday into the modern day.
