FiftyFlowers Blog

Valentine’s Day History

February 8th, 2007 Posted in Wedding Planning and Ideas

Many different legends on the origin of Valentine’s Day exist throughout history. Both ancient Roman and Christian tradition form the roots of this holiday of love. The ancient Roman celebration known as Lupercalia was celebrated on February 15^th, which according to their calendar, February was the first official month of spring. As a celebration of a new agricultural season, this fertility festival celebrated both the fertility of the land as well as the people. Young men would run throughout the street holding fresh goatskins and lashing the young women they encountered. These young women did not run from the lashings. In fact, they hoped to receive a gentle slap of the goat’s bloody hide for they believed that this interaction with nature would make them more fertile in the coming year. Another one of Lupercalia’s common rituals is the “lottery” system used to match up a man with a woman. The names of all the young maidens were placed into a large box. Each of the young men selected a name from this pot. This maiden then became his chosen woman for the following year, with the relationship often lasting longer and resulting in marriage. Lupercalia’s customs continued, even as ancient Rome converted into a more civilized, powerful empire.

Modern Valentine’s Day customs have evolved from both the Lupercalia festival and Christian legend. The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine, yet confusion still exists as to who exactly St. Valentine was. Some scholars believe at least two of these martyred saints were the same person. Others believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in mid-February in an attempt to “Christianize” the pagan celebrations of Lupercalia. Whatever the motivation, and whoever St. Valentine was, several versions exist that all embody the romantic spirit of Valentine’s Day.

Valentine was a priest living in Rome around the year 270AD while the emperor Claudius the Cruel was in charge. Claudius had turned desperate after years of battle in an ongoing war. The Roman men began to refuse to fight, instead wishing to remain with their families or sweethearts. This infuriated Claudius. He ordered for new marriages to be outlawed and current marriages not be recognized. As can be expected, not many agreed with his actions, including the priest Valentine. He continued to perform marriages in secret for these young lovers. As word traveled about a priest named Valentine who befriended lovers longing to marry, word eventually reached Emperor Claudius. He ordered that Valentine be placed in a dungeon and sentenced to death.

Some believe that while Valentine was awaiting his death, he helped cure the jailer’s daughter of blindness. Others say that he simply fell in love with her. Either way, it is believed that prior to his beheading on the morning of February 14^th, he sent the jailer’s daughter a letter and signed it, “From your Valentine.”  This phrase continues to be used today.