The History Of Valentine's Day

Another story of Valentine’s Day describes the “Christianization” of the old Pagan holiday called Lupercalia. Lupercalia was the celebration of fertility as well as Romulus and Remus. Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were two babies who were raised in a cave by she-wolves. The she-wolf hides were later used as a symbol of fertility. If a woman were to touch the hides, it was believed that she would become fertile. This later escalated to another tradition where young women would place their names in a jar. Men would pick out their names randomly and be paired for a year with the person they chose. This often resulted in marriage. 

Valentine’s Day is usually celebrated in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, as well as Australia. In the middle of the eighteenth century, it became more popular to exchange letters, small gifts, and cards on this day. Even today, around 145 million cards are exchanged each year on Valentine’s Day. Today, Valentine’s Day is still celebrated by giving gifts to one another as well as showing love for each other by spending time together, going out to dinner, and overall just showing appreciation for each other. Spread the love with your loved ones, friends or partners this Valentine’s Day!