Valentine's Day as a Commercial Holiday . Valentine's Day is no longer part of the official liturgical calendar of any Christian church; it was dropped from the Catholic calendar in 1969. Its not a feast, a celebration, or a memorial of any martyrs. Valentine's Day has dark origins. Later, Pope Gelasius I muddled things in the fifth century by combining St. Valentine's Day with Lupercalia to expel the pagan rituals. But the festival was Lupercalia was an ancient pagan festival held each year in Rome around February 14. It is considered a precursor to Valentine's Day. Origins of Valentine’s Day . Every year on February 14, the world marks Valentine’s Day.Millions send messages and gifts of love to the people most important in their lives. You’d be forgiven for thinking the fourteenth has its roots in the Christian faith, with the day seemingly named after Saint Valentine, a priest who lived during the third century AD. The Pagan Origin of Valentine’s Day Historical Crossroads: Valentine’s Day and Lupercalia. While Valentine’s Day is widely recognized as a celebration of love in modern times, its historical roots are far more intricate and, believe it or not, a bit wilder. Valentine’s Day is the Modern equivalent of Lupercalia, even though much of the symbolism of the former has been lost over time, subsumed into the latter’s imagery of hearts, red, white and pink. Those colors, and the same themes, come from Lupercalia; how can we, as Modern Pagans, living in a Modern World, embrace this holiday? Origins of Valentine’s Day: A Pagan Festival in February . While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death The holiday’s origins likely predate the venerated saint. The date of St. Valentine’s execution, the day after the February full moon, might be the real connection with affection. As fans of Shakespeare know, the Idus or “Ides” of each month on the ancient Roman calendar was the day of the full moon. When Valentine's Day looms on the horizon, many people start thinking about love. Did you know that the modern Valentine's Day, although named for a martyred saint, actually has its roots in an early Pagan custom? Let's take a look at how Valentine's Day evolved from a Roman festival into the marketing behemoth that it is today. #FunFact Valentine's Day originated as an ancient Roman pagan holiday that required animal sacrifices and year-long blind dates. Enjoy! Enjoy! — Zach Goldrosen (@Zach_Goldrosen) February 11, 2016 Does Valentine's Day have pagan origins? There was a mid-February fertility festival in ancient Rome called Lupercalia, which some believe was a forerunner to Valentine's Day. (Spoiler alert: the rest of this paragraph is NSFW.) Valentine's Day is named for a saint, but its roots actually go back to a Pagan festival in early Rome that may have been a love lottery. Learn Religions. https On Valentine's Day, millions present flowers, chocolates and cards to their sweethearts.While the holiday's traditions really became cemented in the 1800s, historians link its roots to wild pagan 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 Valentine’s Day is the Modern equivalent of Lupercalia, even though much of the symbolism of the former has been lost over time, subsumed into the latter’s imagery of hearts, red, white and pink. Those colors, and the same themes, come from Lupercalia; how can we, as Modern Pagans, living in a Modern World, embrace this holiday? The origin of Valentine’s Day dates back 2,000 years. Ancient Romans celebrated the god Lupercus from February 13-15 in a pagan festival called Lupercalia. Does Valentine's Day have pagan origins? There was a mid-February fertility festival in ancient Rome called Lupercalia, which some believe was a forerunner to Valentine's Day. Pagan origins of Valentine's Day. The origin of Valentine's Day has a few very gory tales associated with it. Many believe that fixing February 14 as the date for St Valentine's feast day was an attempt to 'Christianise' the pagan fertility festival of Lupercalia, dedicated to the Roman god of agriculture Faunus, and the founders of Rome -- Romulus and Remus. However, Valentine’s Day is not a modern creation. Rather, it is a day with ancient roots, both cultural and religious. With many legends and tales surrounding Valentine’s Day, the supposed day of love, it can be difficult to ascertain exactly where and how Valentine’s Day originated. Pagan Roots of Valentine’s Day 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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