Valentine's Day
This day is dedicated to romance, especially between romantic couples who often share tokens of their affection.
This day is dedicated to romance, especially between romantic couples who often share tokens of their affection.
Names: Valentine’s Day, St. Valentine’s Day, Feast of Saint Valentine
This day is dedicated to romance, where people, especially romantic couples, share tokens of their affection.
Origin
The exact origins of Valentine’s Day are unknown. There are at least three St. Valentines recognized within the Catholic Church.
Some historians believe Valentine’s Day derives from the Roman festival of Lupercalia, which occurred during the spring. Lupercalia was a fertility festival which included events like ritualistic sacrifice, feasting and the pairing of single men and women by lottery. Celebrating Lupercalia was banned in the fifth century. The pope at the time, Gelasius, proposed Valentine’s Day in its place as a way to celebrate St. Valentine.
During the Middle Ages, Valentine’s Day developed its associations with romance. The famous poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote of the romance of the day in a 1375 poem called “Parliament of Foules,” and Valentine’s Day cards began to appear in the 1400s.
In the United States, the modern-day Valentine card is credited to Esther A. Howland, who, in the 1840s, pasted together pictures and lace to create what we know today. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” went on to create a business of selling handmade cards designed specifically for Valentine’s Day. In the 20th century, homemade and Howland-made cards were supplanted by mass market Valentine’s Day postcards. Card-sending is now a vital part of Valentine’s Day.
Traditions
Valentine’s Day is mainly, but not exclusively, celebrated by romantic couples and children. Card-sending is quite popular in schools, with children sharing cards and candies. Candy companies produce candy specifically for Valentine’s Day, like candy hearts and heart-shaped chocolate boxes, often replete with funny rhyming poems about love. Children often deposit their gifts in homemade mailboxes created from shoeboxes.
Valentine’s Day also sees couples exchanging romantic gifts, like chocolate, flowers and jewelry.
Red and pink are the traditional colors of Valentine’s Day. Cupid, a version of the Greek god of love Eros, and hearts are two of the biggest symbols of Valentine’s Day. Cupid is represented as a naked winged baby who shoots lovers with an arrow straight to the heart.
What to say
“Happy Valentine’s Day!” is the traditional Valentine’s Day greeting. Go the extra mile by getting a small gift, such as candy, flowers or a nice card for those you love.
In recent years, Valentine’s Day, which traditionally focuses solely on romantic couples, has been supplemented with days like Galentine’s Day on February 13, a similar holiday focused on friendship.