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 did not come to be celebrated as a day of romance until about the 14th century. ( Read Britannica’s essay “Why Do We Give Valentine Cards?” Why the history of Valentine's Day is so complicated Learn how St. Valentine, an ancient Roman festival, and the poet Geoffrey Chaucer all contribute to the history of Valentine's Day. 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 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 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 Two centuries after Valentine’s death, Pope Gelasius became the head of the Catholic Church, and decreed that February 14 th should be Valentine’s Day.. By now, the uprising of Christianity had well and truly gotten rid of the Lupercalia festivals, so everybody could concentrate on the day of love during this month. Our current Valentine’s Day tradition and most poems of the day probably drew inspiration from the 18 th century English nursery rhymes: Gammer Gurton’s Garland (1734). 18 th Century to Present day 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. 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 Valentine’s Day is a romantic holiday celebrated each year on February 14. Learn about St. Valentine, Valentine's Day quotes and the ancient origins of Valentine's Day. Valentine’s Day may have originally been a feast day in honor of Saint Valentine, a Christian martyr. Today, Valentine’s Day now is considered one of the most romantic days of the year. And, like other significant days − Thanksgiving and turkey, Easter and ham and eggs, New Years with black-eyed peas and collard greens − there are HISTORY OF VALENTINE’S DAY LESSON PLAN CONTENT PAGES Saint Valentine. The History of Valentine’s Day lesson plan contains three content pages. Which holiday is celebrated every February 14th and includes candy-shaped hearts and decorative cards? It’s Valentine’s Day, of course! 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 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 Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 as St. Valentine’s Day in 496 AD, and the rest is this history. In summary: Valentine’s Day is a celebration full of interesting history and customs. From its pagan roots to its Christianization and modern-day celebrations, Valentine’s Day has evolved into a day dedicated to expressing love and affection to those we care about. Saint Valentine is the name of one or two legendary Christian martyrs whose lives seem to have a historical basis. Celebrated on February 14, Valentine is venerated as the patron saint of lovers, people with epilepsy, and beekeepers. We might typically associate Valentine's Day with romance, roses and chocolate, but the holiday's history has a lot more to it than meets the eye. From a Roman festival and Christian martyrs to a medieval celebration of spring , we explore the origins of Valentine's Day in more detail 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 History of St.Valentine Day. Valentine’s day week is a widely recognized festival of romance. However, it has a very grave history that accompanies it. The valentine’s day significance lies in a few legends of Middle Age Rome. Though these legends vary slightly from each other, they all mention one central character on whom they are based.
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