The celebration of Valentine’s Day is carried out on the 14th of February, and it has a close connection with the expression of love and affection among lovers. Although it is observed with Valentine’s Day gifts such as roses, chocolate, and romantic dinners today, this particular day has history, mystery, and tradition behind it. This celebration has a long and rich history that dates back to ancient Roman traditions and eventually turns into one of the most anticipated days of the year. So, sit back and relax as we travel through the romantic history of Valentine’s Day and find out why this day is close to our hearts.
It is speculated that Valentine’s Day has origins in Lupercalia, a festivity that took place in Ancient Rome every February 13-15. This non-Christian festival was actually a fertility and health festival as well as welcoming the coming of spring. Lupercalia was celebrated through rituals performed by priests called Luperci, through the slaughtering of animals and other rites done in an attempt to enhance fertility among the people. It was a celebration of the cycles of nature and also a cathartic event that helped to clean the city before the new season.
The day is named after Saint Valentine, a character whose existence remains a matter of debate to this very day. There are multiple accounts of who Saint Valentine might have been, but most stories converge on one central theme: love and sacrifice. A widespread story associated with Valentine’s Day is that Valentine himself was a priest in Rome during the rule of Emperor Claudius II in the third century. He had banned marriage for young men since he thought that such individuals would be better fighters. Valentine disobeyed the emperor and continued uniting young people in marriage, which meant a lot to them and promoted love.
As early as the fifth century of the Christian era, Saint Valentine’s Day was instituted by Pope Gelasius I as a Christian counterpart of the Pagan feast of Lupercalia. In associating the day with love and chastity, the Church intended to eliminate the immoral acts of the Lupercalia and substituting them with a more heavenly celebration of romantic affection.
Valentine’s Day started to become associated with love in the Middle Ages, though this association mainly came from Europe. At the same time, the idea of courtly love, which was based on chivalry and devoted to the cult of romantic passion, was popular among the nobility. Valentine's Day has been traditionally associated with love, of which literary evidence can be traced back from Geoffrey Chaucer, a poet of The Parliament of Fowls, written in the fourteenth century, where this day has been linked with bird’s breeding season and human emotions of love.
In the 15 and 16th centuries, Valentine’s Day was viewed as a special day on which people could express their love by writing, most often by hand, little notes, and offering presents. Beautiful poems, sweet letters, and small gifts like flowers also became part of the day. This period could be considered as the beginning of Valentine’s Day celebration as a testament to individuals’ relationships and affectionate feelings.
Now, it is observed as a symbol of love with red roses, Cupid, and everything in the shape of a heart. These symbols are, therefore, predicated on myths, legends, and artistic illustrations of love and romance. For example, Cupid, the Roman god of love, is painted in the form of a playful cherub bearing a bow and an arrow that he uses to inflame passion within people.
Valentine’s Day is now commemorated through different customs around the world. Whereas the English culture emphasizes romantic love, other cultures’ values concern family relations, friends, and community relationships. While in Japan, women offer chocolates to men or ‘Chocolate Day’, which is on the 14th of March, South Korea celebrates ‘Valentine’ Day on a monthly basis with different themes such as ‘Rose Day.’
While the origin may be associated with romance, Valentine has grown to encompass any form of love. People exchange greetings with their friends, large gatherings consume food with their families, and charity is bestowed onto the deserving. That has ensured this holiday continues to be meaningful in an ever-changing society.
Although celebrated across the globe, Valentine’s Day has been criticized for having become a commercialized event. Some people complain that Valentine’s Day lacks true sentiment because people focus more on spending unnecessarily on items like Valentine's gift hampers and not the true feelings. However, many consider it as time for reflection on the roles of relations which, with careful, caring gestures or thoughtfully selected Valentine's hampers of sweets or flowers, thus ensuring it becomes a day of immeasurable worth.
Valentine‘s Day means lots of things. It is not merely a day of celebration, but it is the symbol of love, affection, and care showered by human beings. When we show tangible signs of our love through physical touch and words of encouragement, then we pay tribute to those who sought to uphold love even in its simplest form. Valentine’s Day is one of these holidays that associate the tale of romance with history, myths, and contemporary traditions.
