A Brief History of Valentines Day

Valentines Day is a day to express your love, to celebrate the spirit of love, and to share with the people we love. Valentines Day falls on February 14th and is the traditional day that lovers send each other Valentine’s gifts or cards. Actually, it’s always a good time to celebrate romance, but this is the time that society, at the prodding of greeting card and chocolate manufacturers, sets aside especially for such amorous festivities.

More recently the holiday and tradition of gift giving has expanded to include friends and family members as well. Though the modern tradition of classmates giving a Valentine card to every member of the class has been questioned as being somewhat inappropriate, the tradition continues to this day.

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine’s Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite.

The holiday is named after two Christian martyrs named Valentine. Nothing is known about the lives of these martyrs. Many of the current legends surrounding them were invented in the late Middle Ages in France and England, when the feast day of February 14 became associated with romantic love.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first ‘valentine’ greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor’s daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed ‘From your Valentine,’ an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It’s no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

It wasn’t until the High Middle Ages that the Valentines Day tradition centered on romantic love. The earliest surviving Valentine Day gift is a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife. The duke was being held prisoner in the Tower of London after his capture during the Battle of Agincourt.

On Valentine’s Day in Paris in the year 1400 a High Court of Love was established to hear cases dealing with love contracts, romantic betrayals and violent acts against women. In this court of love, women could choose judges to hear their case based on the poetry read by each prospective judge.

Valentine’s Day traditions were imported to North America in the 19th century. Around 1850 mass produced Valentines began to be created and given to loved ones. These were made of embossed paper and lace.

Today Valentines Day is vastly different than it was years ago. Back then, cards and letters showed one’s love. During the latter half of the 20th century Valentines Day gifts such as roses and chocolates began to be given, usually from a man to a woman. Today, people are forced to perform near acts of heroism on Valentines Day in order to show their love. Some people take vacations for the holiday while others spend thousands of dollars on their loved one. Some take the whole day off of work to plan a special and extravagant day of love.

For the most part, Valentines Day is a pretty low key holiday. But if you expect something different from your significant other, make sure to tell him or her. Valentines Day can easily turn into a day of stress and confusion. You may be expecting some grandiose gesture and your significant other only takes you out to dinner. Make sure to talk to your significant other before the holiday so that you are both on the same page and can enjoy this holiday of love.