The History of Valentine’s Day

On February 14th, love fills the air around the world. Many people celebrate
Valentine’s Day, a day where we show our love for our family and friends.
Valentine’s Day is almost 2,000 years old, and it has changed a lot over the
years. Today, people around the world spend millions of dollars on this
holiday. However, Valentine’s Day used to be very different - and very
simple! So where did Valentine’s Day begin? It is time to find out more
about the people, traditions, and beliefs of Valentine's Day!

The Beginning
Historians are not sure exactly when Valentine’s Day got its start, but many
believe that this celebration began around 270 AD in Rome, Italy. It is said
that Valentine was a young man and Catholic priest, whom the holiday is
named after. Emperor Claudius II, who ruled the Roman Empire at the time,
forbade men to marry anyone because he believed that men who weren’t
married made better soldiers, Valentine felt this was unjust, and he
continued to honor marriages in secret. When Claudius found this out, he
ordered Valentine to be murdered. Valentine, who was Catholic, was made
a Saint by the Catholic Church.

How Did Love Become the Theme of Valentine’s Day?

As we just learned, Valentine was murdered for performing marriages in
secret after his emperor outlawed this practice. That, in itself, promotes the
idea that love is a common theme of Valentine’s Day. In addition to this, it is
believed that Valentine was imprisoned before he was murdered. He met a
girl there whom he fell in love with. He wrote her a note expressing his love,
and he signed the note “From Your Valentine”. This is a common phrase
that is still in use to this day in many countries.
Why Hearts?
As we know, Saint Valentine was murdered for performing marriages.
During these secret ceremonies, Valentine developed several traditions that
he performed during the marriage. One of these traditions explains where
hearts came from. Other than hearts being a symbol of love, Valentine
would cut hearts out of parchment (paper) and would give them to the bride
and groom. This was done as a sign of remembrance that their hearts were
united and they needed to stay true to each other.

Is Valentine’s Day Similar to Halloween?

Not exactly, however, a town in England had its own custom that mimicked
the Halloween tradition of giving candy. A mythical creature by the name of
Jack Valentine was said to run around the town of Norfold and knock on the
back door of houses. He would leave treats for the children and then run
away before anyone could see him.

Does Valentine’s Day Celebrate the Coming of Spring?

In some cultures and countries yes! Slovenia for example is a country that
aligns the coming of Spring with the celebration of Valentine’s Day. Here,
the country’s people believed that February 14th was the first day of the
year when farmers could begin to plant new flowers and plants. Recently,
Slovenia has adopted the idea of love into their Valentine’s celebrations.

How is Valentine’s Day Celebrated Now?

Today, the celebration of Valentine’s Day has become more about the
purchasing of gifts for one another than it is about celebrating love and
being around the people you love the most. The average American spends
around $130 on Valentine’s Day. Teachers get the most valentines out of
any group and about 190 million valentines are passed out, mailed, and
e-mailed each year.