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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 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 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. 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 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 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 Cadbury’s heart-shaped boxes of chocolates appeared in the 1860s, Hershey’s Kisses in 1907, and Hallmark Valentine’s Day cards in 1913 — all of which have remained Valentine’s Day The surprisingly long history of Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is not a modern, created-by-Hallmark-and-Big-Candy holiday. The first Valentine’s Day was in 496 AD, when Pope Gelasius I 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 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 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 Valentine’s Day is filled with fun traditions, including decorating with paper hearts, trying heart-shaped food recipes, coloring everything red and pink, and giving Valentine’s Day gifts for 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 Where does the name Valentine come from?. The holiday is aptly named after Saint Valentine, but who exactly was he? Valentine is likely based on a combination of two Valentines who were executed on February 14 in different years by Roman Emperor Claudius II in the 3rd century A.C.E., according to NPR. Valentine's Day has quite the history. Learn about why we celebrate Valentine's Day, the meaning of the holiday, when Valentine's Day is this year, why Valentine's Day is on February 14, and more. 4. Cupid has roots in Greek mythology. Watch out around Valentine’s Day, or else you may be struck by Cupid’s arrow. According to Ti me, the ubiquitous cherub can be traced back to 700 B.C.In Christianity Takes Over Valentine's Day . In 469, Pope Gelasius declared February 14th a holy day in honor of Valentinus, instead of the pagan god Lupercus. In some places in the world, Valentine's Day is known as a day for expressing love between family members and friends, rather than that of romantic couples. This year I decided to give my wife a Jar full of 31 unique romantic notes from KindNotes. 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
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