Every year on February 14th, people around the world are reminded about their relationship statuses through various, cushy images of personified love. Valentine’s Day has always seemed like just another random holiday we all grew up with without much context as to the background behind the holiday. All we know is chocolates, flowers, romance, and pink & red colors being shoved down our throats the moment we step into the seasonal section of the nearest Target. Not to mention how this holiday seems to single out those who don’t have a significant other to share it with.
With all this current intel of what we know of this holiday, we could naturally assume the origin of V-Day is an epic love story (which who wouldn’t love?). However, the real story behind Valentine’s Day involves a martyr, religion, war, and yes, a bit of love. While you may not have someone to share V-Day with, why not expand your knowledge of today’s holiday (and be able to bring it up to friends who are celebrating today happily, woefully unaware of the more sinister story)?
The story dates back all the way to the Roman Empire. According to an article posted by The New York Times in 2023, it began with Emperor Claudius declaring that the Roman soldiers were not allowed to be married. If they were even married going into the war, the marriage legality would become terminated to create fewer weaknesses for the soldiers. St. Valentine was a Catholic minister and defied this law by marrying soldiers in secret. Allegedly, he was arrested, tortured, and murdered on or around February 14th for his acts, and became a celebrated man because of his bravery and belief in marriage.
But how exactly did these events lead to our modern Valentine’s Day which is heavily focused on love itself? One theory comes from the later Roman Pagan festival, Lupercalia. This celebration was held sometime in the middle of February and was centered around (now) strange practices involving the fertility of women, the Roman God of agriculture, and blood. To briefly summarize what occurred, there were animal sacrifices and rituals performed on women who hoped to become fertile and the night ended with couples being paired off to test this fertility (if you catch my drift). When the practice was eventually outlawed, the Pagans turned to Christianity and started to honor St. Valentine by naming a holiday around him that became composed of elements of love, romance, and commitment.
If nothing else, this Valentine’s Day can be celebrated with the thankfulness of St. Valentine and how far we’ve come since the Roman Empire and Pagan celebration days. How a more intense version of this holiday has blossomed into the sickening sweetness we know it as now. No matter the origin, I am a firm believer that Valentine’s Day is a day to be spent with people you care about, true love or platonic, it is a day of love in all forms.
Sources:
- https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/relationships/do-you-know-the-real-history-of-valentine-s-day/ar-AA1mPsvp?ocid=winpsearchbox2&pc=DSBPC&cvid=164bf003387446658e7bb5fa6b913de8&nclid=D26F06B3430C899065363DAA3110FF0C&ts=1707412485389&nclidts=1707412485&tsms=389
- https://www.nytimes.com/article/valentines-day-facts-history.html
- Valentine’s Day 2024: Origins, Background & Traditions | HISTORY