Do you have plans with friends? Are you going to surprise your significant other with a romantic date?
Every 14th of February, Valentine's Day, also calledSaint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated.
Many consider this date to be a special day to strengthen the bonds between couples or friends, but do you know why it started?
Here we explain some things you probably didn't know about Valentine's Day.
A mystery that dates back to ancient Rome
According to National Geographic, it turns out that the origin of this holiday "isn't very clear."
Regardless, the magazine indicates that its history dates back centuries in which various historians place the festivities in ancient Rome.
"Some historians place the origin of the Feast of Saint Valentine in ancient Rome, in a pagan festival calledLupercalia, which is celebrated on the 15th of February," the magazine stated.
That is to say, according to National Geographic, the celebration of Lupercalia derives from lupus,the Latin word for "wolf," which represents the god Faunus who took the name of Luperco and Hircus which signified "an impure animal."
During its history, the magagzine informs that the priests gathered in a sacred cave with the purpose of making a sacrifice: the sacrifice of a goat. As part of the ritual, males would hit women with the skin of the animals to "incentivize" their fertility.
In addition, National Geographic says there is another theory that exists in which male participants of the Lupercalia would choose a woman’s name from a box to have a temporary sexual union, a union that was discarded if it became enduring. This way, couples could be selected during the Roman festival called Juno Februata.
Americans are expected to buy 58 million pounds of chocolate for Valentine’s Day, according to Candystore.com.
Another theory: A priest called Valentine
When the Christian religion began to expand, Emperor Claudius II Gothicus governed and declared a law prohibiting couples to marry so that young men could enlist in the military.
A priest named Valentine did not agree with the law and began to marry couples in secret.
Valentine was discovered and as a consequence, was arrested and confined in a dungeon. A prison guard challenged him to return sight to his daughter Julia who was born blind. The priest accepted and in "the name of the Lord" her sight was restored, resulting in the guard and his entire family converting to Christianity, according to History.com.
"The young priest Valentine, confined in a cell, performed the miracle of returning sight to Julia, the daughter of his jailer. Despite this he was condemned to death," it stated.
Nevertheless, they add that the priest continued to be incarcerated until the 14th of February of the year 269 and was tortured and decapitated, but not before sending a letter to Julia, who he was in love with, according to the legend.
Centuries later it's said that he was elevated to the altars which drove Pope Gelasio I in the year 494 to declare the 14th of February, on the day of his torture, the official day of Saint Valentine.
Con la llegada del Día de San Valentín dentro de pocos días, el sitio web de WalletHub realizó un estudio para determinar cuales estados dentro de los Estados Unidos son los mejores y peores para las personas solteras.
Although there is no certain history for the holiday, many stories and theories exist about how Valentine's Day arose.
In the end, the significance of Valentine's Day is different for everyone. Many see it as a celebration of love and friendship, while others view it as a way to implement consumerism and boost the economy.
FAQs
It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine, and through later folk traditions it has also become a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.
Why was February 14th chosen as Valentine's day? ›
While imprisoned, Valentine cared for his fellow prisoners and also his jailor's blind daughter. Legend has it that Valentine cured the girl's blindness and that his final act before being executed was to write her a love message signed 'from your Valentine'. Valentine was executed on 14 February in the year 270.
What is the true origin of Valentine's day? ›
Valentine's Day did not come to be celebrated as a day of romance until about the 14th century. Although there were several Christian martyrs named Valentine, the day may have taken its name from a priest who was martyred about 270 ce by the emperor Claudius II Gothicus.
What does the Bible say about Valentine's day? ›
1 John 4:7-12. Dear friends: let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
What is the sad story behind Valentine's day? ›
In another story, St. Valentine wrote the first “Valentine” greeting to a young girl he tutored and fell in love with while he was imprisoned for the crime of officiating soldiers' weddings. According to The History Channel, before dying, he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” which is often used today.
What is the dark origin of Valentine's day? ›
One Valentine was a priest in third-century Rome who defied Emperor Claudius II after the ruler outlawed marriage for young men. St. Valentine would perform marriages in secret for young lovers, ultimately leading to his death.
What is the pagan origin of Valentine's day? ›
However, many historians believe the day originated from the Roman pagan festival of fertility called Lupercalia, an event filled with animal sacrifice, random coupling and the whipping of women; not quite the romantic chocolate and roses day that we celebrate today.
Who was Saint Valentine and what did he do? ›
Saint Valentine was a clergyman – either a priest or a bishop – in the Roman Empire who ministered to persecuted Christians. He was martyred and his body buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14, which has been observed as the Feast of Saint Valentine (Saint Valentine's Day) since at least the eighth century.
What is the spiritual meaning of Valentine's day? ›
While the holiday has undergone secularization over time, its origins in Christian martyrdom and acts of love align with broader spiritual themes of compassion, selflessness, and devotion. For some, Valentine's Day serves as a reminder of the importance of love in both human relationships and spiritual practice.
What does the word "valentine" mean? ›
The name Valentine comes from a Latin word meaning “strength.” There are many legends about it, but it's ultimately unclear how Valentine's Day became associated with the tradition of exchanging the affectionate gifts and love notes that we call valentines.
The most common is that on one February 14 during the 3rd century A.D., a man named Valentine was executed by the Roman Emperor Claudius II after being imprisoned for assisting persecuted Christians and secretly marrying Christian couples in love.
Where is Valentine located in the Bible? ›
Valentine's Day is a peculiar Christian holiday not mentioned in the New Testament—unsurprisingly, as it was instituted in honor of a third-century c.e. “saint” named Valentine.
Is Valentine recorded in the Bible? ›
Valentine's Day isn't directly mentioned in the Bible, but any Christian knows that the scriptures are, in their entirety, “the greatest love story ever told.”
What is the deeper meaning of Valentine's day? ›
While the date is meant to honor Saint Valentine's death and burial, which supposedly occurred in mid-February around 270 AD, some historians believe the date could reflect the Catholic Church's attempt to replace the ancient Pagan celebration of Lupercalia — a fertility festival for the pagan agricultural god Faunus — ...
Who invented Valentine's day and why? ›
At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day, and since then, February 14th has been a day of celebration—though it was generally more religious than romantic.
What is the logic behind Valentine's day? ›
Held in mid-February, the festival celebrated the coming of spring with raucous celebrations and fertility rites. At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius forbade the celebration of Lupercalia, and some suggest that he replaced it with a day to celebrate the martyred St. Valentine.
Who declared February 14 a day to honor Valentine? ›
At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day, and since then, February 14th has been a day of celebration—though it was generally more religious than romantic.
What is the true story of St Valentine? ›
By some accounts, St. Valentine was a Roman priest and physician who was martyred during the persecution of Christians by the emperor Claudius II Gothicus about 270. He was buried on the Via Flaminia, and Pope Julius I reportedly built a basilica over his grave.
What is the secret behind Valentine's day? ›
Some believe Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14 because that is when Saint Valentine was killed or buried. Others claim the date has to do with the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalia, which was a days-long celebration that would start on February 13 and end on February 15.
Should Christians celebrate Valentine's day? ›
If that works for you, do it. But the biblical pattern teaches us that romantic love between husband and wife should be on display often and much. It isn't that celebrating Valentine's Day is too much; it is too little and weak. Christians, live your married years so that you don't need Valentine's Day.
