Explainer: The Origins of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, is an annual celebration of romantic love, friendship, and admiration. Every year on February 14, people exchange heartfelt messages, cards, and gifts such as chocolates and flowers. Romantic dinners and special outings mark the occasion, making it a day of joy and affection. However, beneath the modern-day festivities of candy and cupids lies a history that is dark, complex, and shrouded in mystery.

Ancient Roman Roots

Though no one has pinpointed the exact origin of the holiday, one place to start is ancient Rome.

It has been suggested that the holiday has roots in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, held in mid-February on the 15th, in Lupercal Cave at the southwest foot of the Palatine Hill in Rome, somewhere between the temple of Magna Mater and the old titular church of Sant’Anastasia al Palatino, in Italy’s capital.

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On entering the cave, a group of priests in ancient Rome called the Luperci, who performed rituals at the Lupercalia festival, sacrificed dogs and goats to Lupercus, associated with the Roman god Faunus, the god of agriculture and fertility. These animals were known for their virility and suited a sacrifice to the god of fertility to purify the city, promoting health and fertility among farmers, shepherds, and ordinary people alike.

The animals were sacrificed by sprinkling mola salsa—a mixture of two ingredients, flour and salt—on their heads before their throats were slit once they bowed in an act of ritual submission.

In general, the feast celebrated fertility and included a ritual foot race, whereby men whipped women with the hides of the animals they had just slain, believing it would make them fertile. This was particularly important to Caesar because his wife, Calpurnia, was unable to have children.

The brutal fête also involved matchmaking, in which young men drew the names of their preferred single women and were then paired off by lottery. The Roman romantics “were drunk. They were naked,” Noel Lenski, now a religious studies professor at Yale University, told NPR in 2011.

The Rise of St Valentine

At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I, during his pontificate between 492 and 496, forbade the pagan celebration of Lupercalia and is sometimes credited with starting St Valentine’s Day in its place.

By historical accounts, St Valentine was a Roman priest and physician who was martyred during the persecution of Christians by Emperor Claudius II Gothicus around 270 CE/ “AD”. St Valentine’s Day was established to commemorate his life.

Love and Poetry: The Birth of Romance

It wasn’t until the 14th century that Valentine’s Day became synonymous with romance. English poet Geoffrey Chaucer is believed to have played a key role in this transformation:

In his poem Parliament of Fowls, published in the late 1300s, Chaucer depicted Valentine’s Day as the time when birds choose their mates. This poetic association helped shape the tradition of lovers exchanging romantic letters, a practice that gained momentum in the centuries that followed.

Today, it is also an ideal occasion for marriage proposals and weddings in many parts of the world, especially in the Philippines.

From its bloody beginnings in ancient Rome to its transformation into a celebration of love and devotion, Valentine’s Day has evolved significantly. While its origins may be dark, the holidays these days are a reminder of love’s enduring power, whether through grand gestures or simple heartfelt expressions.

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