It’s the mushy, corny, if-you’re-single-it-makes-you-gag holiday. The one with red and pink and hearts and candy and flowers literally posted everywhere. The one with the cheesiest movies.
It’s the one and only, Valentine’s Day.
What is Valentine’s Day? How did it become a thing? Is it a scheme Hallmark came up with to make extra money? Looking at statistics, Valentine’s Day is the second most popular holiday for sending cards, so that would make sense, wouldn’t it?
Photo by Matt Nelson on Unsplash
Well, after a little research, valentine cards started around 3rd century A.D. (definitely a time before Hallmark). Two men, both name Valentinus, were martyrs for the Catholic and Christian churches.
Both were ironically killed on February 14th, just in different years. February had already been associated with love by the Romans and was known as the beginning of birds’ mating season.
When Roman emperor Claudius II began to think single men would make better soldiers, he outlawed marriage. St. Valentinus then became known for secretly marrying couples despite the emperor’s rule (how romantic, right??).
Other Valentinus, as stories suggest, was a Christian helping other Christians escape Roman prisons. He was later imprisoned himself before being sentenced to death. While in prison he befriended the jail keeper’s daughter. Before his execution, Valentinus wrote the girl a last letter, signed, “From your Valentine.”
It wasn’t until around 1840 that Esther Holland began making and selling mass-produced valentines. From there, the holiday continuously bloomed into what it is today.