Valentine’s Day is the holiday (February 14) when lovers express their affection with greetings and gifts. It may have had beginnings in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, which celebrated the coming of spring and included fertility rites and other activities, but the origin of the holiday is vague at best. Valentine’s Day is a holiday celebrated every February 14; this year Valentine's Day falls on a Friday. Across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, [1] is celebrated annually on February 14. [2] It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine , and through later folk traditions it has also become a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and love in In this article, we take a look at the various historical and cultural influences that have shaped Valentine’s Day. From the mysterious figure of Saint Valentine and the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia to the medieval traditions of courtly love and the commercialization of the holiday in the modern era, we explore how February 14th became the day to celebrate love. 4. The First Valentine’s Day Cards & Commercialization. By the 1700s and 1800s, Valentine’s Day had become a widely recognized celebration of love. People exchanged handwritten love letters, poems, and small tokens of affection. However, the modern Valentine’s Day industry didn’t take off until the 19th century, thanks to two major While February 14 is widely celebrated with sweet Valentine's Day treats, heartfelt Valentine's Day gifts, and romantic dinners, few people are familiar with the holiday's true origins. You might remember making Valentine's Day crafts at school or picking out cute Valentine's Day candy to share with classmates, but just how did these traditions When did Valentine’s Day cards become commercially produced? Valentine’s Day cards started to be mass-produced in the 19th century. Esther A. Howland, an American, is often credited with creating the first commercial Valentine’s Day cards in the 1840s. Why are roses associated with this day? More than 250 million roses are produced for Valentine's Day, according to the Society of American Florists—with red roses making up nearly two-thirds of that number. The heart shape as a symbol of love first started showing up in art of the Middle Ages. If you don't make a big deal about Valentine's Day, you're not alone. The commercialisation of Valentine’s Day. In the mid-19th century the Valentine’s card travelled across the Atlantic. Cards rapidly gained popularity in America, where they were initially advertised as a British fashion. Advanced American technologies meant that more elaborate cards were produced cheaply, encouraging their popularity yet Today is Valentine's Day, or St Valentine's Day. It's celebrated every year on 14 February. You can find out all about the day of love here. Whether you are a fan of the celebration or not, you might wonder how it got started and took over February. Valentine's Day:Louisville Nature Center offers unique special for bitter exes. Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 as St. Valentine’s Day in 496 AD, and the rest is this history. Valentine's Day had gruesome start. See how it became the holiday we celebrate today How did Valentine’s Day start? Like many modern holidays that have been celebrated for centuries, Valentine’s Day has its roots in paganism. Lupercalia was a pagan fertility festival typically The Legend of Saint Valentine and How Modern Valentine’s Day Started. Saint Valentine, a Roman priest, became a beacon of love’s resilience against oppression during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. Defying the emperor’s edict that prohibited young men from marrying—believing that single men served as better soldiers—Valentine Here's how it started Valentine's Day is a time to celebrate romance and love and kissy-face fealty. But the ancient Romans had bloodier, drunker and more naked notions to mark the occasion. When did Valentine's Day start? The festival traces back to the 6th century B.C., and according to Roman mythology, it was to honor the Roman fertility god Lupercus and the she-wolf who nursed They started looking familiar in the 19th century. Today, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Australia and the United States, although it’s most kissing, Valentine's Day gifts, and hard-to-get dinner reservations, the origins of the holiday are far less romantic. When Is Valentine’s Day? First, a quick refresher: Valentine's Day always falls on February , but the day of the week varies by year. In , Valentine's Day will be on a Friday for the first time since . How Did Valentine’s Making Every Valentine’s Day Message Count. As Valentine's Day approaches remember that the best messages come from the heart. Whether you're sharing a sweet note with a partner, a funny text with a friend or a meaningful sentiment with a family member, it's the thought and care behind your words that make all the difference. The Valentine’s Day tradition of giving a box of candy was started in the 19th century by Richard Cadbury, a scion of a British chocolate manufacturing family.
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