Gallery
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
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 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 is a time to celebrate romance and love and kissy-face fealty. But the origins of this festival of candy and cupids are actually dark, bloody — and a bit muddled. 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. The origin of Valentine’s Day is a rich tapestry of history, mythology, and cultural evolution. From the legend of Saint Valentine and the ancient festival of Lupercalia to the influence of Geoffrey Chaucer and the rise of commercialized celebrations, February 14th has become a day dedicated to love and affection. Everyone loves a good love story, but the history of Valentine's Day is a bit different from the romanticized version of the holiday recognized today. 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. By the early 1910s, an American company that would one day become Hallmark began distributing its more official "Valentine's Day cards." The rest, as they say, is history. Universal Images Group / Getty Images The history of Valentine's Day can be traced back to ancient Roman and Christian traditions, evolving over centuries into the celebration of love and affection that we recognize today. Despite its commercialization, many people view Valentine's Day as an opportunity to express their love and appreciation for their partners, friends, and family members. Pagan Origins Long before Valentine's Day was recognized as a holiday, the Romans held an annual festival called Lupercalia. Celebrated between February 13 and 15, Lupercalia was a pagan fertility festival Discover the essence of Valentine's Day: delve into its true meaning, explore its rich history and origins. By: History.com Editors Updated: February 14, 2024 | Original: October 27, 2009 The Catholic Church doesn’t recognize St. Valentine’s Day on its calendar anymore, but people throughout the world still celebrate the day. CHANGING TRADITIONS. Valentine’s Day traditions have evolved a lot over the years. For example, in the Middle Ages—which lasted from the 5th to 15th centuries in Europe—people started exchanging The Mysterious History of the Real Saint Behind Valentine’s Day. 4 minute read. By Olivia B. Waxman. (Valentine’s Day in 2018, for example, fell on the same day as Ash Wednesday.) The history of Valentine’s Day actually finds its roots in ancient Rome and Victorian England, and it’s not as rosy as you might want to believe. St. Valentine actually refers to several people. A heart-shaped hot air balloon soars over snow-covered land. Every February 14, people around the world celebrate romantic love on Valentine's Day—but historians say the true inspiration for the The first written connection between love and Valentine’s Day appears in his poem, Parlement of Foules, written in the late 14th century. Chaucer appears to have invented the correlation that Valentine’s Day equals love and chalked it up to poetic license. The history of Valentine’s Day is a bit blurry, but it’s also possible that he St. Valentine, a name that is synonymous with love and romance across the globe, lived at a time when the Roman Empire was at its zenith. He is often best remembered for the act of marrying couples in secret defiance of the Roman Emperor's bans. However, the truth about St. Valentine is far more complex, woven from a mixture of historical fragments, religious tradition, and folklore. This has On Feb. 14, sweethearts of all ages will exchange cards, flowers, candy, and more lavish gifts in the name of St. Valentine. But as a historian of Christianity, I can tell you that at the root of Chaucer’s depiction of Valentine’s Day as the moment when birds united in pursuit of love, serves as the reference point that has linked Valentine’s Day to romance in the present. Parliament of Fowls, it turns out, sparked a tradition. A Brief History of the Valentine’s Day Card An ornate Victorian-era Valentine’s Day card (1860-1880). Unlike Valentine’s Day, however, Lupercalia was a bloody, violent and sexually charged celebration awash with animal sacrifice, random matchmaking and coupling in the hopes of warding off evil Saint Valentine’s Day has also been associated with a Christian effort to replace the older holiday of Lupercalia, which Romans celebrated on February 15. Some modern stories paint Lupercalia as
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |