Valentine’s Day most likely has you thinking of flowers, chocolate, and those emoji’s with a heart-eye. Yet before you begin looking for Valentine’s Day cards and personalised Valentine’s Day gifts for your Valentine, you may be wondering how did Valentine’s day start and why is it celebrated on February 14. While we may consider Valentine’s Day as a modern celebration meant just for indulging our buying and sweet impulses, this heart-shaped celebration actually has an ancient and remarkable story… or rather, mystery.

How Did Valentine’s Day Start?

Valentine’s Day started as an older custom, thought to have stemmed from a Roman festival.

The Romans had an actual celebration called Lupercalia in the middle of February. This is formally when their springtime begins.

It’s thought that as part of the festival, names of women were drawn out from a box by men. They’d be boyfriend and girlfriend during the event and also occasionally they would get married.

Later, the church intended to transform this festival into a Christian celebration and also the decision was made to utilize it to remember St Valentine too.

Slowly as time passed by, St Valentine’s name started to be used by individuals to share their feelings to those whom they liked.

A Valentines Day Postcard Circa. 1912

Why is it called Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day is named after Saint Valentine, who was a Catholic priest residing in Rome in the third Century. There are lots of tales concerning St Valentine and these tales expanded into the legend we understand today.

Who Invented Valentine’s Day?

As it turns out, no one actually recognizes the truth behind who invented Valentine’s day, neither do any of the theories entirely check out. Also the history experts find themselves arguing over the precise practices from which the contemporary celebration takes inspiration.

According to some sources, it’s possible that the love-filled celebration is based on a combination of 2 men. It’s reported that there were, nevertheless, two Valentines who were executed on February 14 (albeit in different years) by Emperor Claudius II. It’s thought that the Catholic Church may have established St. Valentine’s Day in order to recognize these males, who they thought to be martyrs. What’s more, it’s feasible that one of these guys, Saint Valentine of Terni, had been covertly officiating wedding celebrations for Roman soldiers against the emperor’s rules, making him, in some eyes, an advocate of love.

Another tale entails the practice of composing love letters to your Valentine. It’s claimed that the first love letter was written by St. Valentine to a young girl that he tutored and eventually fell in love with while he was locked up for the criminal activities outlined above. Some sources suggest that, before his fatality, he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” which is a phrase continued to be used by many to this particular day.

Others believe that St. Valentine’s Day was actually assigned by Pope Gelasius I in order to change the ancient Roman celebration Lupercalia, an event of fertility devoted to the Roman god of agriculture, Faunas, as well as Roman creators Romulus and Remus.

The banquet of debauchery fell around the exact same time and included a routine where an order of Roman priests ran naked in the streets, “carefully slapping” females with the blood-soaked hides of sacrificed animals (yes, absolutely), which they thought raised awareness of fertility. Following this flagellation was a tradition in which men selected women’s names randomly from a container to decide who would remain together for the next year, or, if they fell in love, they ‘d marry.

A University of Kansas English professor, the late Jack B. Oruch, apparently had an alternative concept, through study, he identified that the poet Geoffrey Chaucer linked love with St. Valentine for the very first time in his 14th-century works “The Parlement of Foules” and also “The Complaint of Mars.” As a result, Oruch claimed that Chaucer created Valentine’s Day as we understand it today. (At the time of Chaucer’s writing, February 14 also happened to be taken into consideration the first day of spring in Britain, due to the fact that it was the start of birds’ mating season- perfectly suitable for a celebration of love).

Geoffrey Chaucer, one of England’s great poets.

What is the real meaning of Valentine’s Day?

The true significance of Valentine Day is true love. It is supposed to be a day when enthusiasts, couples, declare their love as well as genuine affection for each other. It is not only for couples; singles likewise take part in the celebration by spreading what is called agape love.

Valentine’s day teaches us regarding sacrifice. It is about nurturing our households and promoting the spirit of providing, sacrificing and also sharing. Like the initial Valentine did by setting his life to ensure that partners may be united.

This likewise relates to marital relationships. Couples must be prepared to make the necessary sacrifices for their marriage to function, as this comes with great responsibility. It consists of many ups and downs. It is difficult to preserve your commitment and your vows in marriage.

Most significantly, Valentine celebrations are supposed to bring us closer to the source of real love and this important occasion is meant to be a source of great joy to humans.