Ahhhhhhh sweet Valentine’s Day, the day love. Or is it?
If you ask someone what Valentine’s day is or what it means to them, most people will say that its about sharing love. Whether you’re single, or in a relationship, all types of love can be spread on this heart-shaped holiday. Despite its popularity, many people are not hip to its Pagan origins. The association between February and love dates all the way back to the early Christian church in ancient Rome. According to History.com, an old festival, called Lupercalia, was celebrated from February 13th-15th to “avert” the city from evil spirits and infertility.
The festival usually began with the sacrificing of male goats, which represented sexuality in ancient Rome, and a dog. A large feast would typically succeed the sacrificing followed by more strange festivities. Using the hide of the sacrificed goats, the men of the city would run around naked outside hitting women with the hide because supposedly, it eased the difficulties of labor and promoted fertility. Another activity of Lupercalia was the drawing of names. Men drew the names of women from a jar and whoever you chose would be your partner for the duration of the festival. The drawing intended to match you up with a “date” for the remainder of the festival. If the date went well these couples stayed together even after the festival was over and in some cases, they got married. It was like an ancient version of a Tinder hookup.
What was formally known as Lupercalia was eventually recognized by the Catholic church as Valentine’s Day to acknowledge St. Valentine. Due to uncertainty of who St. Valentine was, the holiday was later removed from the Roman calendar. However, despite the confusion surrounding St. Valintine, we still celebrate in his name today.
Of course, as the years went on, tradition and celebration styles of Valentine’s day changed. Even the reason behind why we celebrate has changed. So when you’re stuck in your room sad about not having a date or plans for V-Day this year just be grateful we aren’t sacrificing your German Shepard for a baby you may or may not have. (I wonder what the Romans would say about birth control, LOL). Who knows, maybe times will change so drastically that we won’t even celebrate it anymore, but until then, Happy Valentine’s Day!