Written by: Alexis Kougias
Every year on February 14th, many people throughout the world spend the day sharing sweet notes, treats, and flowers with their loved ones. This day is Valentine’s Day, a holiday celebrating love and togetherness. But, do you know the origin of this holiday? There are a couple of traditions and stories that make up the beginning of this blissful holiday.
The two most common origin stories start centuries ago. The first, and oldest, begins that Valentine’s Day was originally celebrating an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia. This festival celebrated nature and the beginning of spring. Romans spread happiness and love through the festival every year in February! The next story is how Valentine’s Day became known as “Valentine’s Day”. Valentine’s Day gets its name from an ancient Roman (possibly a priest) named “Valentine”. Valen means “strength” in Latin. Long after his death, the Roman Catholic church sainted him as Valentine was martyred for his beliefs. Saint Valentine is thought to have lived during the third century, the reigning Emperor decided that young soldiers were not allowed to get married. He said this was because he believed that single men made better warriors. Valentine disagreed and decided to marry young soldiers and their lovers in secret. Evidently, the Emperor found out and sent Valentine to prison. There, he befriended the jailer’s daughter who was blind. It is said that he cured her blindness through his faith and she could see again. Before he passed away on February 14th, Valentine wrote a note to the girl he cured and signed it “From your Valentine”. This was the first Valentine’s Day card ever written!
The celebration of Valentine spread around the world, with people far from Rome even honoring the priest and all that he did. Pope Gelasius I canonized Saint Valentine in 496 CE, more than 200 years after Valentine’s death around 270 CE. By then, people had been creating their own “Valentine’s Day cards” and giving them out to their loved ones with nice messages inside of them for centuries.
In the 1800’s, a woman named Esther Howland made Valentine’s Day cards popular in the United States. She made them by hand, creating beautiful designs with lace and other fabrics. She sold them to people all over the country for people to give to their loved ones. This tradition continues and is why we still celebrate Valentine’s Day today! Lots of people across the globe give out cards, candy, and teddy bears to their friends and family every year. It’s a day to show kindness and love to the people that you care about. Valentine’s Day is a special day to celebrate, and it’s right around the corner!
Click here for a fun Valentine’s Day Craft!
Credit:
https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2
https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/13/style/esther-howland-valentines-card-history-cec/index.html
