| The History of Valentines
Day or Why we give gifts on 14th February |
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| The exact reason why the 14th February is so special for lovers is obscured in history and myth. However, most accounts appear to agree about a number of facts. | |
| Some accounts state that in Roman times the 14th February was the day to celebrate Juno. Juno was the Queen of Gods and Jupiter’s wife. She was the Goddess of heaven and the moon and symbolised the ideal matronly qualities that Romans desired in their woman. She was also seen as the protector of women. However, some accounts refer to the Matronalia, the 1st March, and Nonae Caprotinae on 7th July as Juno’s days. | |
| The following day, the 15th was the Lupercalia, an important festival commemorating the Gods Lupercus and Fanus. Lupercus was the son of the Goddess Diana and the God Dianus. He was renowned as the God of flocks and fertility, and also the God of wolves. He had links to the founding of Rome via Romulus and Remus. Faunus was the God of crops, herbs and fertility. Some accounts also say that Junus was associated with this festival. The festival took part on the Palantine hill, where the Lupercal is situated. This is the cave, which according to legend, Romulus and Remus were suckled by the wolf. During the festival, some accounts, although not all, state that the names of young women would be placed in a jar. These names were then drawn at random by the young men and the pairs would be sweethearts or lovers for the remainder of the festival or year depending on which account you are reading. | |
| Valentine enters the story during the reign of Emperor Claudius II around 268-270 AD. At this time Rome had to deal with rebels and invasion. Believing that his soldiers would be more likely to join his army if they were single, he outlawed marriage. Valentine, who was at that time a Christian priest, defied this and continued to perform secret marriages. He was subsequently arrested, and having tried and failed to convert the Emperor to Christianity was executed on February 14th 269. For this he was later canonised and become Saint Valentine. One last twist is that St. Valentine is said to have fallen in love with the blind daughter of his jailer. Her blindness is said to have been cured by his love and faith. Just before being taken to his death, he wrote her a farewell, signed “From your Valentine”. | |
| However, there are at least two other St Valentines mentioned by the early Roman Catholic Church who were supposed to have been martyred on the 14th. Of the three, one is a said to have been a Priest in Rome, another a Bishop in Interamna, both of whom died around the same time. Of the third, documented to have died in Africa, little is known. | |
| Later, Pope Gelasius, who died in 496, modified the custom of picking women’s names from the jar. Instead, he is said to have introduced the idea of picking Saints and encouraging the young men and also women to live their lives based on the example of these saints. This was not thought to be as popular amongst the men as the previous custom. He is also said to have set aside the 14th for Saint Valentine’s Day. | |
| About the 14th Century in England and France, popular customs seems to have arisen based on the 14th, mid way through February when the birds start to pair. Both French and English literature of the 14th and 15th century mention the 14th February as being a special day consecrated for lovers and the time for writing love letters and sending tokens of love. It is said that Charles Duke of Orleans was one of the first senders of Valentine’s Day messages, as we know it, in1415. They were sent to his wife when imprisoned in the Tower of London. | |
| During the following centuries, the sending of love messages on the 14th February grew in popularity. Often these included original or copied verse and poems. Different attitudes can be seen from the variety of different Valentines Day Poems. | |
| Mechanisation of Valentines day cards in 1840. | |
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