Chocolate, flowers, heart-shaped notes – what’s not to like about Valentine’s Day?
This sweet celebration, which happens every year on February 14, is all about spreading the love.
The holiday as we know it today got its name from a man named Valentine – there are a few different stories about what he did to inspire the holiday with many believing he was a Roman priest who helped couples secretly get married.
Emperor Claudius II of Rome – who reigned from 268 AD to 270 AD – banned marriage because he thought single men made better soldiers.
Valentine thought this was unfair and decided to break the rules and perform marriages anyway, keeping the ceremonies quiet. He was eventually caught and later killed on February 14, 270 AD for defying the Emperor.
Right before he died, Valentine is credited with writing the first-ever ‘Valentine’ to his jailer’s daughter, with whom he had fallen in love. Later, in the 5th Century, Pope Gelasius I declared the day of his death as St Valentine’s Day.
The celebration surrounding Valentine’s Day actually has its roots in an ancient pagan festival which started centuries before Valentine was even alive.
Held in Rome each February, part of the event focused on bringing new couples together. During the festivities, boys drew the name of a girl from a container, the pairs would stay together during the festival and some would actually get married when it was over.
After Pope Gelasius I created St Valentine’s Day, the festival turned into a Christian celebration focusing on the Saint.
Valentine’s Day traditions have evolved a lot over the years – in the Middle Ages from the 5th to 15th Century – people began exchanging handmade cards with love notes inside. Today billions of dollars are spent on Valentine’s Day cards and gifts each year around the world.
In a tradition that’s also tied to the Middle Ages, South African women actually wear their hearts on their sleeves. Girls pin the names of their crushes on their shirtsleeves, revealing themselves as secret admirers to their sweethearts.
No matter how you celebrate Valentine’s Day, there is always love in the air!
