History of Valentine’s Day

By Angelina Saviozzi, Staff Reporter, DAA Pawprint

Valentine’s Day falls on February 14 each year. Candy, flowers, and presents are given and received between loved ones worldwide. We know that Valentine’s Day has its roots in both Christian and ancient Roman culture and that February has long been regarded as the month of love. Valentine’s day in the past was more so related to Lupercalia which related to the paring of women to men by lottery but Gelasius the Pope I forbid Lupercalia celebrations, and it’s frequently said that he replaced the festivities with St. Valentine’s Day but up until the 14th century, Valentine’s Day was not recognized as a day of romance.

Why is cupid used to represent This Holiday?

Valentine’s Day cards frequently feature Cupid as a naked cherub shooting arrows of love at couples. However, the Greek god of love, Eros, is the ancestor of the Roman god Cupid. The god of love, attraction, and affection is eros he is frequently represented as the child of Mars, the god of war, and Venus, the goddess of love. Greek Ancient poets described Eros as a gorgeous immortal who played with people’s emotions. He thrived on passion and loved it on his victims with the sting of an arrow. He wasn’t portrayed as the playful, chubby boy he had become on Valentine’s Day cards until the 18th century. Another symbol of this romantic festival is Cupid, the winged baby boy that is frequently seen on cards and other items relating to the celebrations.

What do you do on Valentine’s day?

Valentine’s Day is celebrated outside of the United States in countries like Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and many other countries. Around the 17th century, Valentine’s Day became a common holiday in Great Britain. Friends and lovers of all societies would frequently exchange little gifts of affection or handwritten notes and by the middle of the 18th century, and by 1900, due to advances in technology, printed cards started to take the role of written letters and Valentine’s Day is now the second-largest card-sending holiday of the year after Christmas, with the Greeting Card Association estimating that 145 million cards are sent on this day each year. Nowadays during these special holidays, many go out to celebrate with their other halves and special ones and tend to share love and affection with one another during the day giving gifts and going on romantic dates for the special day of love.