Valentines Day History

The History of Valentines Day

When February arrives most of us put our minds to Valentines Day. February 14th is a day when it is common to lavish our loved ones with presents and love.

A flurry of activity is all around; shop windows grabbing our attention with plenty of gift ideas and florists trying to out do the Chelsea flower show!

We get easily drawn into the occasion without fully understanding why. We’re celebrating this day in the name of Saint Valentine but who was he? And where did the idea originate from?

Great Ideas for Valentine's Day

Origins of Valentines Day

Confusion surrounds exactly who St Valentine was and there are varying opinions as to the actual origins of Valentines Day. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia the holiday is named after possibly three men; all had lived in the late third century.

A priest in Rome
A bishop in Terni
A martyr in Africa

All three Valentines were said to have been martyred on February 14th.

Some sources suggest that the holiday is named after just two Christian martyrs although the Catholic Encyclopaedia speaks of a third; who was martyred in Africa but little else is known about him. This takes us to the other two saints:Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni. Although separate entries in martyrologies and biographies, some have an opinion that these are the same person.

Valentine of Rome

We go back to the time of the Roman Empire in the reign of Claudius II for the first story. It was around A.D.270 that a priest named Valentine had enraged this cruel and mad emperor. Claudius II had outlawed the marriage of young men. The emperor felt that single men made better soldiers than married men with wives and families. But his Empire needed soldiers and he believed the only answer was to abolish marriage.

Valentine, a priest of Rome at the time, felt this was a harsh decree. He invited young lovers to come to him in secret, where he would join them in marriage. When Claudius discovered that Valentine had defied him, he had him condemned to death.

It was while the priest was in jail that another story emerges. It’s suggested that while saint Valentine was awaiting his fate he befriended the jailer’s daughter. The young girl was said to have visited him and that he had miraculously restored her sight. On the day he was to die, he wrote a farewell message to her and signed it "from your Valentine"; A phrase that is still in use today. He died on February 14th and was buried on the Via Flaminia.

Valentine of Terni

The second famous St. Valentine was the “Valentine of Terni It was about A.D. 197 when he became priest of Interamna (now known as Terni), he died in A.D. 273 during the persecutions of emperor Aurelius. According to one legend; Valentine was said to make a present of a flower picked from his garden to his young visitors. The story goes; two of these young people fell in love and were so happy that many would follow their example. A tradition still kept on today; with Valentine’s Day flowers. He would continue to spread the message of love, heal the sick and the infirm. This was a time when Christians were being persecuted for their faith. He was beheaded and was also buried on the Via Flaminia.

The Feast of Lupercalia

Another theory of the origins of Valentines Day dates back to Ancient Roman Times. February 14th was a day to honour Juno; Juno was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. Each young man would draw the name of a teenage girl from a jar. They would then stay together during the duration of a year. Sometimes they would fall in love and marry. This ritual would continue the following year and another lottery staged.

Chaucer’s Love Birds

The first recorded association of Valentine's Day with romantic love is in Parliament of Fowles. Written buy Geoffrey Chaucer (1342/43–1400).

Was on Seynt Valentynes day,
Whan every foul cometh theere to chese his make [mate]…
(Geoffrey Chaucer, The Parliament of Fowles, circa 1380)

Chaucer brought to life the image of birds coming together at this time to choose a mate. He penned this poem to describe the courtship of Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. In The Parliament of Fowles Chaucer also chose Saint Valentine as a patron for that marriage, the poem is the first reference to the idea of St Valentine’s Day being a special day for lovers. Also in the poem are other symbols of love which came to be associated with St Valentine's Day: Cupid and Venus. Chaucer thus began a tradition of composing love poetry on Saint Valentine's Day.

Gradually, February 14th became the day most associated with love and the exchanging of gifts. Since the 19th century the handwritten notes have been replaced with the mass produced Valentines Day cards. The British Museum has the earliest card in existence. It was in 1415 when Charles, duke of Orleans sent his wife a card while he was prisoner in the Tower of London. It is also estimated that in America women buy at least 85% of Valentines cards,

There are many embellishments of the legend of Saint Valentine and the jury is still out! However, one thing is for certain; being constantly surrounded by flowers and gifts as you walk down the street, means you are least likely to forget Valentines Day. Let’s hope not.

Home | Contact | Site Map

History Valentines Day