From Saints to Chocolate Boxes: The History of Valentine’s Day
By: Isabel Hahn
February 14, Valentine’s Day, is a day that is recognized worldwide. Every time the special day rolls around, loved ones usually show their appreciation for each other by exchanging gifts like candy, handmade cards and stuffed animals. In the present day, it is hard to imagine Valentine’s Day as anything other than a holiday full of cheesy pick-up lines, chocolate hearts and the colors pink and red everywhere. However, contrary to its lighthearted and commercialized modern presence, Valentine’s Day has somewhat of a more twisted and mysterious past.
It is said that Valentine’s Day had ancient origins as a Pagan fertility festival celebrating the Roman god of agriculture, Faunus. This annual festival was known as “Lupercalia,” and along with making animal sacrifices and praying for a year of increased fertility and health. Women were paired off with men by drawing names from a jar. These matches would usually lead to marriage.
Following the rise of Christianity in Rome, Lupercalia was outlawed in the 5th century AD when Pope Gelasius deemed February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day to commemorate the martyr Valentine. There are several legends detailing the life of Saint Valentine. One portrays him as a Christian priest who was imprisoned and fell in love with his jailor’s daughter. Before he was put to death, he wrote a letter to her and signed it with the phrase “From your Valentine,” which is an expression still used today. Another tale suggests that Valentine was a priest who continued to perform marriages in secret despite Emperor Claudius II outlawing marriage for young soldiers at the time. Valentine is said to have worn a cupid ring so soldiers would recognize him. It is unclear which legend is the most accurate account of Valentine’s identity, but all of them depict him as a heroic and very romantic figure. He lived his life prioritizing love and deep care for those around him. Valentine became known to the public as the patron saint of love and someone who connected couples with God.
Although the Saint Valentine legends connected the holiday with love, Valentine’s Day only became definitively linked with romantic love much later in 1375, with English poet Geoffrey Chaucer’s poem “Parliament of Foules.” In his poem, Chaucer defined Valentine’s Day as a time for mates to join together. Starting in the 15th century, a new era of courtly, elegant displays of love began, and the word “valentine” began to be used to describe a lover in romantic poems and songs. The oldest recorded valentine was created in 1415 by the imprisoned Charles, Duke of Orleans, in the form of a letter to his wife.
Around the 1700s, Valentine’s Day began to be associated more with its modern consumerist version. People started to exchange small trinkets and handwritten notes amongst their friends and family. The act of gift giving grew in popularity. Eventually, with the development of efficient printing technology around the start of the 20th century, mass-printed cards started to outnumber handmade ones. Many of these manufactured cards were decorated with soft and colorful illustrations. Short poems and, in some cases, even had added lace and ribbons. Cheaper postage rates also increased the number of pre-made cards bought and sold.
Card printing was just the start of Valentine’s Day related production. In the following decades, Valentine’s Day completely shifted away from its religious roots and evolved into the commercial and materialistic holiday most are familiar with. Companies constantly look for ways to convince consumers to join in on the celebrations by purchasing gifts for their loved ones. Such gifts include jewelry, candles, mugs and more. Over time, businesses have learned to profit off of the feelings of love and appreciation that come along with the holiday.
No matter the era, Valentine’s Day has always been a celebration of love. Love can mean different things, and there is no one right way to show it. Love is the vows exchanged at a wedding, but it is also the warmth of squeezing someone’s hand. It is a bouquet of roses left at the front door, and it is also a short phone call before bed. Just like how love is an ambiguous concept, Valentine’s Day has become an ambiguous holiday. There really are no set rules or traditions; Valentine’s Day can be whatever one wants it to be.