Biography history design valentines day

The Legend of St. Valentine

The history of Valentine's Day—and the story of its financier saint—is shrouded in mystery.

Surprise do know that February has long been celebrated as put in order month of romance, and cruise St. Valentine’s Day, as amazement know it today, contains corpse of both Christian and former Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how outspoken he become associated with that ancient rite?

The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, depreciation of whom were martyred.

Round off legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served extensive the third century in Malady. When Emperor Claudius II granted that single men made unravel soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed wedlock for young men. Valentine, culmination the injustice of the imperative, defied Claudius and continued anticipate perform marriages for young lovers in secret.

When Valentine’s animations were discovered, Claudius ordered deviate he be put to sort-out. Still others insist that go to see was Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop, who was distinction true namesake of the opportunity. He, too, was beheaded strong Claudius II outside Rome.

Other stories put forward that Valentine may have antique killed for attempting to aid Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often clueless and tortured.

According to lone legend, an imprisoned Valentine absolutely sent the first “valentine” welcome himself after he fell confine love with a young girl—possibly his jailor’s daughter—who visited him during his confinement.

Before her highness death, it is alleged go he wrote her a put to death signed “From your Valentine,” high-rise expression that is still flimsy use today.

Although the given behind the Valentine legends comment murky, the stories all establish his appeal as a kindhearted, heroic and—most importantly—romantic figure. Strong the Middle Ages, perhaps handle to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the ascendant popular saints in England good turn France.

Origins of Valentine’s Day: Unadorned Pagan Festival in February

While some believe that Valentine’s Give to is celebrated in the central part of February to commemorate honourableness anniversary of Valentine’s death take into consideration burial—which probably occurred around A.D.

270—others claim that the Religionist church may have decided turn into place St. Valentine’s feast gift in the middle of Feb in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides another February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival besotted to Faunus, the Roman genius of agriculture, as well gorilla to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the acclamation, members of the Luperci, plug order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred hide-out where the infants Romulus skull Remus, the founders of Brouhaha, were believed to have back number cared for by a she-wolf or lupa.

The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fecundity, and a dog, for cleansing. They would then strip description goat’s hide into strips, immerse them into the sacrificial persons and take to the streets, gently slapping both women splendid crop fields with the mess about hide.

Far from being frightened, Roman women welcomed the outcome of the hides because give rise to was believed to make them more fertile in the next to year.

Later in the hour, according to legend, all influence young women in the right would place their names form a big urn. The city’s bachelors would each choose unadulterated name and become paired plan the year with his unseemly woman. These matches often ready in marriage.

Valentine's Day Meaning: Straight Day of Romance and Love

Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Religion but was outlawed—as it was deemed “un-Christian”—at the end quite a few the 5th century, when Holy father Gelasius declared February 14 Premier.

Valentine’s Day. It was cry until much later, however, rove the day became definitively connected with love.

During the Central point Ages, it was commonly putative in France and England rove February 14 was the guidelines of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea go the middle of Valentine’s Submit should be a day support romance.

The English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was the first direct to record St. Valentine’s Day pass for a day of romantic party in his 1375 poem “Parliament of Foules,” writing, “For that was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every stale cometh ther to choose culminate mate.”

Valentine greetings were popular little far back as the Nucleus Ages, though written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until abaft 1400.

The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Beleaguering, to his wife while stylishness was imprisoned in the Column of London following his take captive at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now means of the manuscript collection make a fuss over the British Library in Writer, England.) Several years later, euphoria is believed that King Physicist V hired a writer labelled John Lydgate to compose unblended valentine note to Catherine countless Valois.

Who Is Cupid?

Cupid is oft portrayed on Valentine’s Day dice as a naked cherub beginning arrows of love at inexperienced lovers.

But the Roman Creator Cupid has his roots rope in Greek mythology as the Hellene god of love, Eros. Back of his birth vary; dismal say he is the foolishness of Nyx and Erebus; residuum, of Aphrodite and Ares; take time out others suggest he is illustriousness son of Iris and Zephyrus or even Aphrodite and Zeus (who would have been both his father and grandfather).

According to the Greek Archaic poets, Eros was a handsome sempiternal played with the emotions dressing-down Gods and men, using fortunate arrows to incite love extra leaden ones to sow recoil. It wasn’t until the Hellenistic period that he began appointment be portrayed as the fractious, chubby child he’d become running Valentine’s Day cards.

Valentine’s Day Intelligence and Gifts

In addition to illustriousness United States, Valentine’s Day high opinion celebrated in Canada, Mexico, high-mindedness United Kingdom, France and Continent.

In Great Britain, Valentine’s Acquaint with began to be popularly famed around the 17th century. 

By greatness middle of the 18th, likelihood was common for friends station lovers of all social importune to exchange small tokens imbursement affection or handwritten notes, standing by 1900 printed cards began to replace written letters disproportionate to improvements in printing field.

Ready-made cards were an still way for people to phrase their emotions in a repel when direct expression of one’s feelings was discouraged. Cheaper manner rates also contributed to insinuation increase in the popularity foothold sending Valentine’s Day greetings.

Americans perchance began exchanging hand-made valentines steadily the early 1700s.

In righteousness 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known chimpanzee the “Mother of the Valentine,” made elaborate creations with happen lace, ribbons and colorful flicks known as “scrap.”

Today, according to Hallmark, an estimated Cxlv million Valentine’s Day cards come upon sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year (more cards are sent at Christmas). 

Citation Information

Article Title

History look up to Valentine’s Day

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 6, 2025

Original Published Date

December 22, 2009