A Holiday for Lovers: How Valentine's Day Began
On February 14th, millions of couples celebrate their love through dinners, dates, and chocolates. Valentine’s Day, which garners over $20 billion annually in the United States alone, is a widely celebrated holiday known for its red hearts and cupids. However, the origins of Valentine’s Day and its association with love is a murky history filled with martyrdom, migration patterns, and possible ties to an ancient Roman holiday that was anything but family-friendly.
Part of the issue regarding tracking down the origins of Valentine’s Day is that no one knows who Saint Valentine is. Valentine, a name given to multiple Christian martyrs from the first couple of centuries A.D., most commonly refers to two different saints: Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni. Both saints were martyred on February 14th and were buried on the Via Ferraria. Valentine of Rome was a priest who was imprisoned for his aid of Christians during their persecution in Rome. Valentine of Terni, a former bishop, healed and had an affair with his imprisoner’s daughter, who was said to be blind. After being freed for his miracle, he was sentenced to execution for attempting to convert Emperor Claudius II. Interestingly, their stories are vague and intertwined, and the Church only recognizes one Saint Valentine, who was martyred on February 14th. Contemporarily, historians believe that both Valentines are the same saint who, in actuality, was sent to Rome after restoring the sight of Judge Asterius’ daughter, the former of whom he was placed under house arrest. In Rome, he gets executed for his attempted conversion.
Notably, Saint Valentine’s story lacks any mention of love or courtship. Instead, Valentine’s Day was celebrated as an ordinary day of observance from its origin in 496 A.D. until the Middle Ages. It was removed from the Roman Catholic Calendar because it lacked knowledge about Valentine. No one quite knows how Valentine’s Day became associated with romance. It is broadly accepted that the first mention of Valentine’s Day relating to love occurs in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Parliament of Foules. This approximately 700-line poem asserts Valentine’s Day as the day “every bird comes to choose his match.” There are a couple of leading theories on why Chaucer chose Valentine’s Day as the matchmaking day for the lovebirds. Parliament of Foules was written as an anniversary gift from England’s King Richard II to his wife, Anne of Bohemia, who were officially married on May 2nd. The dominant theory suggests that Chaucer referred to the Feast of Valentine of Genoa, observed on May 3rd. However, scholars are uncertain what Valentine Chaucer was considering without definitive proof. Alternatively, the University of Chicago suggests that the date mating season would have begun has shifted earlier over the centuries.
Either way, this association between matchmaking and Valentine’s Day had a lasting impact on the cultural perspective of the holiday, sparking a chain reaction leading to the creation of many myths relating to Valentine’s Day and love. A popular myth associated with Saint Valentine is that he was martyred for secretly marrying Roman soldiers under Claudius II’s army. However, this theory has been debunked mainly by accounts that claim Claudius encouraged his soldiers to take multiple wives post-defeat of the Goths. Another widespread embellishment in the 11th century asserts that Saint Valentine sent clandestine letters and parchment hearts to his jailer’s daughter, creating the first “valentine.” This theory led to the popularization of “sending valentines,” a practice embraced by couples and schools alike.
Some historians believe that Valentine’s Day’s practices result from the Christianization of the ancient Roman holiday Lupercalia. This pagan holiday was celebrated annually between February 13th and 15th. Also known as Februalis, the holiday entails the sacrifice of a goat and dog at the Lupercal altar, located in the cave where the She-Wolf raised Romulus and Remus. After the sacrifice, a feast occurred, in which priests cut undergarments out of the skin of the goat and dog and ran around Palatine Hill unclothed. Women would line up around the hill to be hit by the thongs, which was a sign of good fertility and the health of Rome. The scandalous nature of Lupercalia, as well as the similar association with fertility, led to the belief that Valentine’s Day was created to replace the holiday. Although coincidental, Valentine’s Day serves as an example of one of the many pagan holidays that was replaced to benefit Christians through conversion tactics.
No matter the origin, Valentine’s Day is a holiday celebrated and appreciated worldwide. From North America to East Asia, February 14th marks a day for love, courtship, and romance. The lack of a clear origin for the holiday is not to detract from people’s enjoyment. Instead, the unknown source allows Valentine’s Day a layer of mystery and intrigue beyond chocolates and Cupid. Whether its roots lie in the martyrdom of Saint Valentine, the poetic influence of Chaucer, or the remnants of ancient Roman traditions, the holiday continues as a testament to the human desire for connection. While its history may be shrouded in mystery, its impact is undeniable. Each year, millions of people embrace the spirit of Valentine’s Day, proving that love, in all its forms, remains a powerful, lasting force for all.