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 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. What are the historical origins and meaning of Valentine's Day? Get the facts. The English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to record St. Valentine’s Day as a day of romantic celebration 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 What is the real meaning of Valentine's Day? Learn about the holiday's origins, history, traditions and why we celebrate in the first place. The first St. Valentine was a rebel, defying a The first known Valentine’s Day card was sent by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in the early 15th century. However, the tradition of exchanging cards became more widespread in the 18th century. When did Valentine’s Day cards become commercially produced? Valentine’s Day cards started What part does Cupid play on Valentine's Day? Of course, it's not all about St. Valentine. Cupid — the winged baby boy often seen on Valentine's Day cards and paraphernalia — is another symbol of this love-filled holiday, and it's easy to understand why. In Roman mythology, Cupid was the son of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. The explosion of love continued in the 19th century with the creation of the first heart-shaped box of chocolates—a quintessential symbol of Valentine's Day—at the hands of Richard Cadbury. To make things even sweeter, the New England Confectionery Company (Necco) started to produce the earliest version of Conversation Hearts , which are Valentine's Day always falls on February 14, meaning that the day of the week varies year on year. In 2025, Valentine's Day will fall on a Friday for the first time since 2020. Where did it come 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 was first celebrated in Bangladesh by Shafik Rehman, The "Chinese Valentine's Day" is the Qixi Festival (meaning "The Night of Sevens"; The first Valentine's Day card dates to 1415 when the Duke of Orléans sent a card to his wife while he was he was a prisoner in the Tower of London. In the United States, Valentine’s Day cards 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 These varied traditions illuminate the many fun and meaningful ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day beyond the conventional dinner date. Whether it’s crafting a love spoon in Wales, participating in a mass wedding in the Philippines, sending a letter to Juliet in Verona, or simply spending the day with friends in Finland or Estonia, these customs underscore the universal and diverse 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. 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 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. I didn't know that there was a Christian bishop named Valentine and origin was dated back to A.D. 271. All I know is Valentine's Day is celebrated in most countries, different cultures have developed their traditions for this festival. Valentine's Day is one of the country's most popular holidays. Stores put out candy boxes and romantic cards on display months in advance, while restaurants and hotels advertise romantic packages The next milestone in the history of Valentine’s Day came in 1382, when Geoffrey Chaucer wrote his poem Parlement of Foules. This poem contains what is widely reported to be the first recorded instance of St Valentine’s Day being linked to romantic love. This reference can be found in the lines:
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