As you start planning a special Valentine’s meal for your other half, take a minute or two to ponder how we actually got here. Who came up with the idea of Valentine’s Day? And who was this saintly individual anyhow?
That’s where the real surprise is – for whilst no one really knows the origins of St Valentine’s Day, there are a couple of theories of how it evolved…
When did St Valentine’s Day begin?
Some historians say Valentine’s Day evolved from a pagan holiday known as Lupercalia. Certainly, this particular day did take place in the middle of February. It was a celebration of fertility and involved naked men and killing a goat and a dog. Young boys would then use strips of the hide of these unfortunate animals to whip young women to encourage fertility. We can think of nicer ways…
It was only towards the end of the fifth century when Pope Gelasius came to power, that Lupercalia was stopped, and a feast to celebrate Saint Valentine was declared for 14th February.
Then there is the poetic theory – or rather, the theory that the romance surrounding Valentine’s Day was an invention of the poet Chaucer and continued by writer William Shakespeare. Chaucer first mentioned Valentine’s day and romance in the same sentence in his poem The Parlement of Foules. In the poem, he was referring to the mating of birds.
Valentine’s Day has evolved in other ways too. @BRIDES: “It used to be that the male would take the initiative on buying candy, flowers, or cards, or organising the romantic dinner. Now it doesn’t have to originate with the man. There is more gender equality.”
Who was St Valentine?
The identity of the saint to whom the day is named isn’t set in stone either. But there are two saints for whom the day may have been named. Both were martyrs and were executed on 14th February, as the Roman Emperor Claudius demanded in the third century.
Saint Valentine number one was a priest who refused to renounce his Christian faith. When under house arrest, he is said to have given a blind girl back her sight. On hearing of the miracle, Claudius ordered his execution.
Saint Valentine number two is said to have healed a young boy who could not straighten his body or speak. Following this miracle and his refusal to convert, he, too, was put to death.
When was the first Valentine’s card?
The first Valentine’s Day card was sent in 1415 by the Duke of Orléans while he was a prisoner in the Tower of London. It was sent to his wife. During the Civil War in America, the custom of sending romantic messages took off. By the early 20th Century, cards were produced specifically for sending messages on 14th February.
