Hearts and Histories: Unraveling the Legacy of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is celebrated every year on February 14, by lovers and couples the world over.
But did you know that Valentine’s Day has its origins from a Roman festival-Lupercalia which was held in mid-February. This festival was celebrated to mark the coming of Spring and often included fertility rites and pairing of prospective brides and grooms through a type of a lottery system, where names of unmarried girls were put in a bag and were drawn by young unmarried men in search of a bride.

It is believed that this festival was banned sometime in the 5th Century and over the years was replaced by St. Valentine’s Day, but the antecedents about this festival are vague at best.
Valentine’s Day has, over the centuries, been linked to several Christian martyrs bearing the name Valentine, and many believe that the name Valentine was taken from a priest who was martyred in about 270 CE.
According to legends, this incarcerated priest was taken in by the jailer’s daughter, to whom he sent a farewell love letter, signed ‘Your Valentine’ before his execution.
Other accounts state that St Valentine was a bishop or Terni, but there is a likelihood that both saints were actually the same person.

There is yet another tale, that finds the roots of this day during the Roman Empire that banned marriages in favour of an upcoming war, as it was believed that unmarried men were better fighters.
It is in this sordid state of affairs that St Valentine, a Roman priest, got couples secretly married to save young unwilling men from the battle field.
Interestingly, formal Valentine Day messages appeared only after the 1500s and it was only in the 1700s that we see commercially printed Valentine Day Cards.
Valentine Day Cards often depict Cupid, the Roman God of Love or birds, as February also onsets the avian mating season.
Valentine Day Cards, Candy, Chocolates, exclusive gifts, dinners and vacations are very popular with couples.