When it comes to Valentine’s Day, I love chocolates and cinnamon hearts!
But the abundance of pink, red, flying cupids with wings, ridiculously priced flowers, paper heart cut-outs, endless piles of pink stuffed animals and 500 types of scented candles – make me want to shake my fists at greeting card companies – for fabricating, repackaging, and over-commercializing yet another one of our holidays.
So it made me wonder, what is Valentine’s really about? Read on as we uncover the truth and the origin behind Valentine’s Day. . .
There are actually three main sources of where we got today’s Valentine’s Day celebrations, and they go back pretty far!
1) Ancient Greco-Roman Festivals: In ancient Greco-Roman times, there were several festivals that took place during January/February every year. The first was dedicated to celebrate the marriage between Zeus and Hera. The second was called a festival of Roman origin called Lupercalia which celebrated fertility. Lupercalia was abolished in the late 400’s AD by the Pope.
2) Three Martyrs of the Catholic Church: In the early Christian church, there were three men who were named Saint Valentine who were also martyrs. The first, Valentine of Rome was martyred in 269AD; the second, Valentine of Terni was martyred in 197AD; and the last Valentine was martyred in Africa but no more is known.
Whether by factual truth or by the evolving idea of romance coupled with the Valentine martyrs, myths and stories began to circulate. One story tells about Valentine the priest who defied the Roman Emperor. The Emperor had ordered that young men serving in the army should remain single. However, Valentine would perform secret marriage ceremonies “in the name of love.” When he was discovered, he was thrown in jail to be executed. Before his execution, he wrote a letter to his jailer’s daughter whom he addressed as his beloved, which read: “from your Valentine.”
3) Chaucer: Chaucer is aye neeghtmaar foreth alle studenth (Chaucer is the nightmare for all students). Nonetheless, his Canterbury Tales remains one of the most influential works of literature today – despite the difficult Middle English. It was Chaucer’s Parlement of Foules that was one of the first instances of Valentine’s Day being associated with romantic love. It was a work written for King Richard II and Anne of Bohemia in 1382:
For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese [choose] his make [mate].
The earliest surviving valentine exists from 1415 from Charles de Valois, Duke of Orleans to his wife or to his “valentined” while he was being held captured in the Tower of London:
Je suis desja d’amour tanné
Ma tres doulce Valentinée
Later, even Shakespeare would refer to Valentine’s day in Hamlet in 1600-1601.
And So Cameth Today’s Valentine’s Day Celebrations and Rituals
While there is no conclusive proof of the origin of today’s rituals for Valentine’s day, it can be argued that each of the mentioned events: the Lupercalia festival, the three martyred Valentines, and Chaucer’s work – each played a part in giving us today’s festival.
Valentine’s Day rituals today includes sending tokens of love in the forms of letters, cards, chocolates, gifts, and are done so in the spirit of romantic affection – rather than fertility, procreation, or life and death circumstances. Although, Darwin would have argued otherwise.
The Valentine’s Day celebrations have also spread throughout different parts of the world and have take on new traditions in different countries.
Read our article, “Valentine’s Day in Korea and Japan” – where it’s women who are required to give men chocolates on Valentine’s Day!
