Know more about the Valentine’s Day History
Valentine’s Day History – How did the celebration of the Heart’s Day start and why it is being celebrated by the world?
Every February 14, the world celebrates the day for their loved ones. Nowadays, this occasion is known for having heart decorations, Valentine’s cards or gifts, and dates or get-togethers. However, its history was a “bloody” one.
Based on the article in Real Simple, Pope Gelasius declared February 14th as St. Valentine’s Day at the end of the 5th century. At that time, it was generally more religious than romantic.
Historians believed that the Heart’s Day was linked to Lupercalia which was a celebration of fertility and may have included a ritual in which men and women were paired off by choosing names from a jar. In Ancient Greece, people had their mid-winter celebration for the marriage of the god Zeus and the goddess Hera.
St. Valentine was Day was celebrated for martyred saints but this celebration was removed from the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar in 1969 because of the conflicting reports of the celebration. Some believed that it was Valentine while for some, it was Valentinus.
The story of St. Valentine also has several versions. One story claimed that Saint Valentine refused to convert to paganism and was executed by Roman Emperor Claudius II. He was able to miraculously heal the daughter of his jailer, before his execution, who then converted to Christianity along with his family.
Another story stated that Saint Valentine of Terni is the true namesake of the holiday; this Saint Valentine was also executed. There is also a version of the story that Saint Valentine was a Roman priest who performed weddings for soldiers forbidden to marry. It is because of a Roman emperor’s edict. The decree stated that married soldiers did not make good warriors and thus young men could not marry.
This Valentine allegedly was wearing a ring with a Cupid on it which is a symbol of love. It was claimed also that this Valentine gave away paper hearts to remind Christians of their love for God and because of this, he was called the patron saint of love.
The word “valentine” was being used to describe a lover in poems and songs of the day, around the 15th century. Over the years, people used this occasion to express love for their loved ones.
Meanwhile, one of the most celebrated holidays all over the world is New Year with a lot of traditions.