How Did Valentine's Day Start?

Let me set the scene for you: it’s the evening of February 13th, about an hour or so before Target announces for all lingering shoppers to make their final purchases. There are lines wrapped around every register, overflowing with frantic romantics fighting over mushy cards, life-sized teddy bears, and packs of chocolates so severely overpriced that looking at the price tag is painful. The date always remains the same, yet somehow, we are never prepared.  

While some view the 14th as the ultimate day of love, others think of it as a highly commercialized event and an excuse for Hallmark to rake in a few extra pennies. Regardless of your stance, it’s no secret Valentine’s Day manages to snag society’s attention… and its wallet. Many of us truly don’t know where holiday stems from, so that is my job! Let’s take a look at the origins of Valentine's Day.

Rather than having one cut-and-dry answer, this age-old celebration holds some mystery around it. What we have learned is that the history of Valentine’s Day is mixed with the traditions of Christians and Ancient Romans.  Let’s begin with the former: There are three separate martyred saints named Valentine or Valentinus that the Catholic Church recognizes, each with their possible origin story. The first legend tells of when Valentine, a third-century priest in Rome, rebelled against Emperor Claudius II’s law that forbade young men from marrying. The emperor declared single men proved better soldiers than those with families as reasoning, but that did not stop Valentine from performing marriages in secret for young sweethearts. This was successful for some time, though eventually, Valentine was imprisoned and killed. While incarcerated, he aided the jailor’s ill daughter and just before his execution on February 14th, 270 A.D., he left her a letter signed, “From your Valentine.” 

This is the most common belief, but there is another popular one surrounding this religious figure! The other legend suggests Valentine was sentenced to death due to his role in helping Christians flee persecution and Roman prisons. It is said that amongst leading Christians to safety, Valentine would distribute hearts he cut from parchment to both soldiers and the persecuted to symbolize love from their God and an encouragement to remain strong in their faith. Is this the only story, though? And where does Cupid come in? Stepping away from the Catholic Church, we find ourselves with Lupercalia: a Pagan festival occurring on February 15th and later outlawed by Pope Gelasius in the 5th century as it was claimed “un-Christian.” 

If you think back to middle school, you should recall the story of Romulus and Remus-- two brothers raised in a cave by a she-wolf, later known to be the founders of Rome. The celebration of Lupercalia would consist of Roman priests gathering at this cave and sacrificing a goat and a dog; a representation of fertility and purification, respectively. Afterward, the goat’s hides were sliced in strips and dunked in blood, then a welcome ritual would take place where Roman women would touch the hides to make them more fertile in the upcoming year. The festival focused on fertility, dedicated to the Roman god of agriculture, Faunus. Women also wrote their names on an urn where later, bachelors would pick one of them and the two would become a couple for the year, often resulting in matrimony.

As we can see, Valentine’s Day is not based on commercial greed.  However, after learning approximately 145 million Hallmark cards are exchanged for the occasion according to the corporation itself, one cannot deny that is a factor playing into modern celebrations. Regardless of whether you spend the holiday remembering these saints, paying homage to Lupercalia, waiting for Cupid to strike you, or showering those you hold dear with small tokens of affection and pocket-breaking candy, don’t forget to show a little extra love on February 14th.