Valentine’s Day is a holiday for people worldwide to share their love and affection.
But did you ever wonder how the holiday that celebrates love, affection and friendship came to be?
The origin of Valentine’s Day
Although the origins of the holiday are slightly unclear, it may date back to the Roman festival known as Lupercalia, according to Britannica.com, which was a festival celebrating spring that took place in mid-February and included fertility rites.
Who is the holiday named after?
There are various theories of who the holiday is named after.
Valentine’s Day may have taken its name from a priest martyred by the emperor Claudius II Gothicus in 270 CE, according to Britannica.com. The legend says that the priest sent his jailer’s daughter a letter signed “from your Valentine.”
Another legend is that a bishop, St. Valentine of Terni, is the namesake of the holiday. While yet another legend tells the story of St. Valentine defying orders from the emperor at that time and proceeding to marry couples in secret to spare the husbands from having to go to war.
The love messages many of us await for and cherish, commonly known as valentines, first appeared in the 1500s, and by the late 1700s commercially printed cards sprung up. However, it wasn’t until the mid-1800s that the first commercial valentines in the United States were printed, according to Britannica.com.
Through the passage of times, the holiday has become known as one not only celebrating love, but affection and friendship.
Cupid, love doves and roses
Cupid, the Roman god of love, is a common symbol of the holiday.
Love doves are also a common symbol because it was thought that the mating season for birds began around mid-February.
Among the most common gifts during the holiday are candy and roses, the latter represents beauty and love.
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