The second month of 2017 has finally arrived, and with it comes the most dreaded (or worshipped) holiday of the year: Valentine’s Day. It is not uncommon to hear a groan or two when this holiday is brought up in conversation – whether it be from a woman celebrating another one of these holidays as a single lady or from a man who has yet to set any dinner reservations for his lover and himself. When most of us think of Valentine’s Day, the first things that pop into our heads are flowers, chocolates, and stuffed bears; however, in all reality, the true origin of Valentine’s Day is a little darker than that. If we take a step back in time, specifically during third century Rome, the Emperor of the time was Claudius II. During his reign, Claudius decided to outlaw marriage for young men in Rome due to the fact that he believed single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families. When this occurred, a saint named Valentine decided to take action against the Emperor, and began to wed people in secret. Once the Emperor caught wind of what was occurring within his very own city, he sentenced Valentine to death. Due to his bravery and romantic nature, Saint Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France throughout the Middle Ages.
There are two theories as to why Valentine’s Day is celebrate in the middle of February:
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To commemorate Valentine’s death.
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To purify the celebration of Lupercalia – a fertility festival.
While the first theory is easy to register, the second reason differs greatly. During Lupercalia, a group of Roman priests would sacrifice a goat and a dog, and then enter the city with strips of the animals’ hides to hit women with them. The goat was seen as an animal of fertility, and the dog an animal of purification. This ritual was believed to increase a woman’s fertility, so that she may bear children. Once this was finished, all of the young women in the city would place their names into a large urn, where unmarried men would then choose a name for himself to be paired with. Oftentimes, these pairings resulted in marriage.
By the end of the 5th century, the celebration of Lupercalia was outlawed, and Pope Gelasius declared February 14th Valentine’s Day.
While the true meaning of Valentine’s Day seems to have always revolved around love and marriage, there were parts in the holiday’s history where events became a bit sketchy. Luckily, today, we are fortunate enough to be able to celebrate this holiday with loved ones, in a much purer way than during earlier times.
This Valentine’s Day, whether you are single, in a relationship, or in a “situationship,” make sure to show your loved ones (and yourself) a little love. You all deserve it.
Source: history.com