Valentine’s Day has a fascinating history. The holiday takes place on Feb 14 and celebrates love, affection, and kindness. It is celebrated globally each year with the exchange of chocolate, cards, and flowers, but its history is often overlooked.
One Roman legend suggests that Valentine’s Day originated when Emperor Claudius II prohibited his soldiers from marrying to prevent them from getting distracted from their duties. Still, one of his soldiers, a man named Valentine, didn’t like this and thought it was unbiblical and unbelievable. Hence, he decided he was gonna perform weddings anyway despite what Claudius II said. Claudius II then imprisoned him because he performed weddings instead of stopping like Claudius wanted him to. Valentine was then imprisoned and isolated by Claudius. Later, Claudius beheaded him for refusing to forsake his faith, making him a saint for his death. This story resulted in the festival Lupercalia (which was celebrated on February 14), where people exchanged gifts and participated in a “matchmaking lottery,” but that is also only one of the many other theories on how Valentine’s Day originated.
Another story that’s just the continued version of the previous story is that while Valentine was in prison, he fell in love with the bishop’s blind daughter, Julia. Then he got executed, like said in the other story, and the two were broken up. She then got a letter from Valentine that he sent before he died, that was signed “From Valentine” which is how the phrase was created.
Another reason for the holiday is poet Geoffrey Chaucer’s poem, “Parliament of Fowls,” in which he states that Saint Valentine’s Day is when birds choose their mates. This line became a symbol of love and romance. People began to recognise Saint Valentine’s Day as the day of love. Similarly, in medieval French and English tradition, Feb14 was believed to be the start of bird mating season. People began to give out cards, love notes, and poems.
In the 19th century, the mass production of Valentine’s Day cards began. The first mass production was designed by Esther A. Howland. This made the holiday more widely known and celebrated. Valentine’s day cards included lace, ribbon, and complex and elaborate drawings. Today Valentine’s Day cards are simpler and more customizable. The 19th century also popularized showing affection through gifts, which was driven by the holiday.
Nowadays people celebrate Valentine’s Day in all different ways. Some of the most common ways are exchanging cards, giving flowers, going on dates, and much more. Some people believe that Valentine’s Day is a “consumer-driven” holiday. The flower industry made about $2 billion for Valentine’s Day in 2024. The chocolate industry made about the same that year. This just goes to show how important Valentine’s Day is in today’s society. Valentine’s Day is a day of love and affection that will be celebrated long after we are gone.
