The SHOCKING Origins of Valentine’s Day

In modern times, we associate Valentine’s Day with love, chocolate, and roses. But its true origins might not be so syrupy-sweet. In fact, Valentine’s Day started as a Roman festival known as Lupercalia. This holiday wasn’t for the faint of heart. The celebration began with the sacrifice by the Luperci of goats and a dog. So, how did such a festival like this morph into a holiday celebrating love?

The answer: Pope Gelasius I.

After forbidding the celebration of Lupercalia, Pope Gelasius I purportedly replaced it with St. Valentine’s Day. Historians have yet to pin down the identity of the eponymous Saint Valentine. However, most agree that it’s more than likely a reference to the priest Valentine, who emperor Claudius II Gothicus martyred around 270 CE. Legend suggests that the soon-to-be martyr signed a letter “from your Valentine” to his jailer’s daughter, whom he had befriended and, as per some accounts, healed from blindness. 

It’s important to note that two other St. Valentines might have inspired the holiday. The first was the Bishop of Interamna, another martyr who met his fate at the hands of Claudius II Gothicus. The third is a more mysterious figure. Little is known about him beyond reports that he suffered martyrdom in Africa along with several companions.

We may owe modern-day Valentine’s customs to birds. In medieval times, people believed that birds’ mating season began on February 14th. Of course, another popular legend harkens back to the first Saint Valentine, stating that he defied the emperor’s orders and secretly married couples to spare the husbands from being forced to serve in war.

Whatever the true origins of Valentine’s Day, the holiday began to pick up steam in the 1800s, when the first commercial valentines were printed in the United States. According to the Greeting Card Association, Valentine’s Day is the second most popular holiday for greeting cards, with a staggering 145 million cards being sold each year. Additionally, nearly 250 million roses are grown for Valentine’s Day each year!

So, whether you love the holiday or loathe the sight of chocolate boxes and teddy bears, we hope at least you learned something today. From everyone here at Senior Resource, we wish you a safe, happy, and love-filled Valentine’s Day!