While many characterize Valentine’s Day as a holiday celebrated for romance, often associated with roses, chocolates, and teddy bears. Few are aware of the true origin, tracing back thousands of years to Ancient Rome.
Dating back to the sixth century B.C., Valentine’s was a traditional Roman festival known as “Lupercalia,” celebrated annually from February 13th to the 15th. Lupercalia, honoring the founding of Rome, was intended to welcome Spring while promoting fertility.
In contrast to our modern traditions of demonstrating love, during Lupercalia, priests would perform sacrificial rituals. These rituals consisted of slaughtering male goats and/or dogs, representing sexuality; these sacrifices served as a method of purification intended to promote the town’s fertility and ward off evil.
The festival also consisted of an ancient matchmaking tradition where men and women were paired by lottery to spend the festival together. It’s said that many of these pairings formed lasting romantic relationships–connecting to modern romantic traditions.
The festival tradition ended around the late 5th Century B.C., when Pope Gelasius I outlawed the practice as “unchristian” and dedicated February 14th as a feast day for St. Valentine—shifting from pagan rituals to honoring a Christian martyr.
While there have been many conspiracies on who exactly St. Valentine is, the most probable of all includes a Roman Priest known as “Valentine.” During the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius II, married men were considered as unfit soldiers due to their attachment to their wives and children. To counteract this, Claudius II banned marriage for young men in an effort to strengthen his military.
St. Valentine viewed this law as unjust and defiantly chose to marry couples in secret. Upon being discovered, he was arrested. However, during his imprisonment, it is said he restored the sight of his jailer’s blind daughter and sent her his final message signed, “From, your Valentine” before his execution on February 14, 270 A.D.
As years have passed, what used to be a Pagan festival for fertility has transferred to a Christian feast day for the martyr St. Valentine, and eventually became romanticized to today’s version full of handwritten love notes, gifts, and flowers. This year, when celebrating with your loved ones surrounded by chocolates and roses, don’t forget the ancient traditions and stories that transformed Valentine’s Day into what it is today.
