Valentine’s Day has been celebrated for centuries, but how many people know how this illustrious holiday of love got its start? Do you know how it began? Do you know how it is celebrated around the world and not just in your own country? This post may surprise you, so read it to find out!
The Feast of Lupercalia
Valentine’s Day started as a Roman pagan holiday. On February 15th, Romans held the Feast of Lupercalia. Now, this was an incredibly disturbing festival in its day and involved animal sacrifices and the cleansing of towns. The Feast of Lupercalia is thought to have been something that would please the Roman god of fertility, Lupercus, and perhaps the she-wolf who supposedly raised Romulus and Remus. The blood of goats and dogs would be shed in hopes of cleansing the towns of infertility. After sacrificing the animals, the men of the town took the hides and whipped the women. Somehow this turned out to be a symbol of engagement and led to many marriages.
St. Valentine’s Execution - 270 A.D.
His name is among the most recognisable from history, but who was St. Valentine? Well, here’s where it gets a little tricky. You see, a LOT of men in Italy were named Valentine. But the one we often associate the holiday with was a priest in ancient Rome. Emperor Claudius II had banned all marriages during his reign due to a shortage of militia (he thought that the men were too family-oriented). Valentine, however, continued to perform marriages for those who were truly in love and wished to tie the knot. The Emporer found out and imprisoned Valentine. This is when historians believe the Valentine notes began. Right before Valentine’s execution, he wrote a note to someone and signed it “Your Valentine.” Whether or not this truly happened has been lost to history, but it’s a feasible reason for the cards and letters we write (and hopefully receive) now! Priest Valentine was later beheaded on February the 14th. There was another man named Valentine who happened to be executed the same day as the first we talked about, but not very much is known about him, however, he was also recognised by the Roman Church in later years.
So where do these two stories meet? Valentine was later recognised as a martyr and was honoured as a Saint a couple hundred years after his execution. It is believed that the first time St. Valentine’s Day was celebrated was in the year 496. Pope Gelasius wanted to change the pagan holiday into something different and forget the roots of this celebration. This is how a celebration of St. Valentine himself was instituted. In later centuries the holiday began to be associated with love, courtship, marriage, etc. Around the end of the Georgian period and the beginning of the Victorian period, couples began sending each other love notes and special items to symbolise their love for one another. This is where sending flowers or chocolates became popular.
Now that the history of St. Valentine’s Day has been covered, have you ever wondered what it’s like in other countries?
AMERICA
Happy Valentine's Day
Valentine’s Day has become incredibly commercialised with the sales of chocolates and other candies and mass-produced cards. Here, friends can send each other Valentines to express platonic love. Couples send each other more romantic cards or letters to symbolise their relationship. Many schools and organisations have turned Valentine’s Day into something that can be celebrated by anyone. Children are encouraged to give Valentine’s cards to classmates. Most Americans would probably have a difficult time explaining what Valentine’s is or would be unable to associate it with anything other than pink cards, red roses, pastel candies, and boxes of chocolate.
UNITED KINGDOM
Happy Valentine's Day |Toilichte Valentines latha (Scotland) | Valentines sásta lá (Ireland) | Valentines dydd yn hapus (Wales)
Valentine’s Day was influenced by the French immensely. The act of giving flowers (specifically roses) is a great way that the British celebrate the love holiday. Handmade things are valued such as homemade pastries or handpicked flowers. It isn’t as commercialised as it is in America. Things truly from the heart are appreciated far greater than anything mass-produced. The colour of the flowers given also have different meanings. A red rose is given in romantic love, whereas white or yellow roses are given in platonic or familial love.
FRANCE
Joyeuse saint Valentin
An old French tradition of Valentine’s is really super sweet. On the holiday, the French celebrated by “une loterie d’amour.” All the single people in the towns and villages would sing and dance in the streets in attempts of wooing someone else. Unfortunately, as the years went on, this type of celebration became out of control and was eventually banned. Now, the French typically celebrate La Fête D’Amoureux with red roses. Only couples celebrate this holiday, there are no platonic Valentines given or received as a general rule. France, Italy, Germany, and England have a similar tradition that says that the first man seen by a single woman Valentine’s morning is the man she will marry, or looks like the man she will marry.
ITALY
buon San Valentino
Perhaps my favourite, Italians have arguably the most romantic way of celebrating St. Valentine’s Day. Couples traditionally have exchanged confectionaries and love poems. Some Italian towns hold celebrations where people release heart-shaped lanterns into the night sky. This can last up to four days! Another lovely tradition is attaching a padlock to the rail of a bridge and throwing away the key into the river. And of course, you can’t forget the Casa di Giulietta where the broken-hearted or love-stricken can write letters to Juliet from the famous Shakespearean tragedy. Italians celebrate St. Valentine’s Day with real commitment and genuine romance.
SPAIN
¡Feliz Día de San Valentín!
In Spain, Valentine’s Day isn’t vastly celebrated. Though most do have some sort of celebration, it is not upheld as a very important holiday. It also isn’t usually held on the 14th of February. A celebration or festival of love is held in April and October. The latter is derived from the pagan holiday honouring the Greek god Dionysus. In April, Spaniards honour the Patron Saint of Barcelona, St. George. So, while Spain doesn’t normally do much for St. Valentine, those that do celebrate it rather similar to the surrounding European countries.
GERMANY
fröhlichen Valentinstag
Germany isn’t really known well for romance, but when it comes to Valentine’s Day, you can’t discredit the country. Germans celebrate Valentine’s with an exchange of roses and sweet love notes. Just like in France, this holiday is specifically celebrated by couples, and there is really no focus on platonic or famial love. The holiday isn’t over commercialised, and there is little emphasis on mass-produced items or overly expensive gifts.
MEXICO
¡Feliz Día de San Valentín!
Mexico is renowned for huge celebrations and festivals for all kinds of holidays. St. Valentine’s Day is no exception. Unlike most European countries, Mexicans celebrate this day like Americans in that all people are involved. Romantic love is not the only love celebrated in Mexico for Valentine’s Day; it is incredibly popular for friends and family to exchange gifts and notes. Some Mexicans like to throw a big dinner party amongst family and/or friends, but this is not always so. Balloons are also a really big part of Valentine’s Day in Mexico.
JAPAN
幸せなバレンタインデー ; pronounced (Shiawasena barentaindē)
Traditionally in Japan, women give gifts to men. It is customary for the woman to gift the man with chocolates, handwritten notes, and a form of art. The Japanese also celebrate Valentine’s Day for more than just couples. Friends, coworkers, and classmates generally exchange some type of chocolate or candy. They even have specifically made and named chocolate for this holiday! One type is only given to a romantic partner, the other is given to those you love platonically.
RUSSIA
с днем Святого Валентина; pronounced (s dnem Svyatogo Valentina)
Valentine’s Day is relatively new to Russia, only having been celebrated for the past 30 to 40 years. Couples usually go out for a nice romantic dinner together or even plan a holiday away. It’s customary to exchange things like flowers and candies in Russia as well. This celebration is not limited to couples either; it’s typical for friends to give each other gifts and nice Valentine’s cards.
I realise that I did not cover every single country, but I have to draw the line somewhere. Valentine’s Day is not celebrated globally, which is why I left out a bunch of countries. I hope this post has been interesting for everyone, and that it has taught us all something! I had a great time doing all the research for this and took time and care to find each piece of information. As I stated early in the post, from a historical perspective, there are a lot of blurred lines when it comes to the origins of Saint Valentine’s Day. But what we can all learn from this is that it does not have to be 14 February to love others. It is a defining mark of our Creator to love. While it is great to celebrate romance and send your loved one a letter, don’t get caught up in the materials, but rather, let it be a day for reflection, and to challenge yourself to love one another regardless of differences. Don’t forget the classic words of the beautiful song by Dean Martin, “everybody loves somebody sometime, everybody falls in love somehow.” Take time to share something from your heart with someone you love this year! As always, if you have any questions or comments, leave them down below, I would love to chat!
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Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. - 1 John 4:11
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