MURRAY, NEB- Valentine’s Day has not always been about hearts, chocolates and love notes. In fact, the earliest version of Valentine’s Day was not even about love. The way we celebrate has changed significantly. From a festival about fertility to a feast to honor a saint, Valentine’s Day’s meaning has evolved over thousands of years.
The beginning of what we call Valentine’s Day today can be traced back to ancient Rome. Lupercalia, a festival celebrated from February 13th to 15th, honored the Roman god of agriculture and fertility, Lupercus. During this festival, young men would draw the names of young women from a jar and pair off into couples for the duration of the festival.
In the late 400s, the festival of Lupercalia changed to be known as the feast of St. Valentine after the Christian Church sought to Christianize pagan festivals. The identity of St. Valentine is hard to trace as there were multiple martyrs named Valentine, but these two legends are the most popular. The first claims that St. Valentine was a Roman priest who performed weddings for soldiers forbidden to marry under Emperor Claudius II. The second suggests that Valentine helped Christians escape harsh Roman prisons.
The holiday became associated with love and romance in the Middle Ages. The tradition of exchanging love notes on Valentine’s Day was inspired by 14th-century English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who wrote a poem called the “Parliament of Fowls” about the mating of birds. It suggests that Valentine’s Day is a day for lovers to express their romantic feelings.
The modern version of Valentine’s Day took shape in the 1800s when Valentine’s Day cards became popular. Esther A. Howland, who is known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” started the first mass production of Valentine’s Day cards in America during the 1840s.
Today, Valentine’s Day is celebrated worldwide. Traditions vary from place to place, but the common customs include exchanging of cards, flowers, chocolates, and other gifts between loved ones. The holiday has grown to symbolize the love you have for people close to you.
