By Claire Leibowitz, EIC
Before there were roses, chocolates, and hearts, there was “From your Valentine.” The origins of the February 14th holiday stem from a few legends mixed together, but the phrase comes from Valentine, an imprisoned martyr who fell in love with his jailor’s daughter and signed a note for her before his death. There are three possible Valentines from the Catholic church that the holiday may commemorate, but all are painted as heroic and romantic.
The first observations of Valentine’s Day come from the pagan holiday Lupercalia, an ancient day to celebrate fertility in the middle of February. Men would sacrifice a goat and a dog, and boys would then strip the skin off of the animals and whip women with the pelts in order to promote fertility.
In the 5th century, Pope Gelasius ended the holiday but declared February 14th to be a day of feasts and celebrations in honor of Saint Valentine, the old martyr from centuries before. Valentine’s Day did not become about love until the 14th century, and the Duke of Orléans sent the first Valentine’s Day letter to his wife in the 15th century while he was a prisoner in the Tower of London.
During the Middle Ages, European belief found that most birds’ mating season happened in the middle of February. Further, writers of the era like Shakespeare and Geoffery Chaucer propelled the holiday forward with their connotations of love. Chaucer wrote, “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate,” in his poem “Parliament of Foules.” It’s likely that the combination of the pagan holiday, its Christianization, and writers’ associations turned Valentine’s Day into a day for love.
The holiday did not gain popularity in the United States until the Revolutionary War, when it became a habit to hand-write notes to loved ones. In the mid-1800s, cards were commercially printed, depicting the Roman God of love (Cupid), the root of emotion (the heart), and birds (for their mating season). Ester A. Howland, noted as “Mother of the Valentine” printed these cards, featuring lace, ribbon, and colorful pictures. Today, Valentine’s Day is the second most popular day to send cards, following Christmas.
The holiday is celebrated around the world, too. In Japan, there’s two levels of chocolate-giving: “honmei choco,” true love chocolate and “giri choco,” obligatory chocolate. Typically, women give men chocolate on February 14th, and men return the favor on White Day one month later in March. Finland celebrates “Ystävänpäivä,” or Friendship Day, where friends can exchange small gifts. Similarly, in Denmark, friends and family swap lover’s cards, anonymous notes signed with dots called “gaekkebrev,” that can be either emotional or funny. If the recipient guesses the sender correctly, they receive an egg on Easter, but if they guess incorrectly, they owe the sender an egg, instead. Mexico celebrates “El Día de Amor y Amistad,” a day for both love and friendship. In the Philippines, the government hosts a mass marriage ceremony for hundreds of couples. Women give men chocolate in South Korea, and in return, men give women chocolate on March 14th.
Today, whether Valentine’s Day is considered a true holiday or just a Hallmark scheme, the origins extend back deep. Its extension to partners, friendships, family, and self-love make the day important to show appreciation to everyone. The many ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day, from alone time to parties to dates, spread the love all around.
