The Origins of Valentine’s Day

My earliest memory of the holiday resides in an elementary school classroom, the first year back to the states from Holland. I learned immediately that this was to be a popularity contest in who could get the most cards. It was a game I felt I would never win. My favorite memory of the holiday was attending an Anti-Valentine’s Day Goth party in Northern California. Granted, even dressed in black I didn’t exactly blend in, but I, like those in attendance, understood that we had been drawn together by our mutual rejection of being rejected. But this year I want to set aside my loathing of the cheesy Hallmark adverts, and focus upon the true origins of the holiday. There is an abundance of information around this holiday, much of which is conflicting, so I am choosing to focus mainly upon the earliest roots, which lie in the pagan traditions.

The first interpretation of the holiday is Lupercalia, a pagan tradition held in the third century in ancient Rome. As there were hordes of hungry wolves threatening shepherds and their flocks, the Ancient Romans gathered for a feast to honor the God Lupercus, who was known as a guardian against these threats. (Note: the word ‘lupus’ translates to wolf. Lupercalia is also said to be linked to fertility archaic rites.) Also during Lupercalia, but in honor of the Goddess Juno Februata (or Juno Februa, the Goddess of women and marriage), the names of young women were placed in a box and names were drawn by lot. The boys and girls who were matched up were then considered partners for the year. Can you imagine?

The Feast of Lubercus was given a name change, to Saint Valentine’s Day, by priests of the Christian church in an attempt to replace old “heathen” traditions. To give the celebration further meaning and eliminate pagan aspects, the girl’s names were replaced by Saint’s names. The boys and girls drew a saint and would emulate the life of the saint that following year. By the fourteenth century they went back to drawing the names of girls. In the sixteenth century an attempt was made to go back to Saint’s names, but this effort failed just as the first had. Hmmm. The girls…or acting like a saint all year? I can’t imagine why the latter didn’t go over well.

While it cannot be proved historically, there were between seven and eleven men named Valentine who were honored with feasts on February 14th. The most referred to of these men named Valentine was a Christian priest during the reign of Emperor Claudius. It is said that Claudius tried to convert the priest to Roman traditions and when he was refused, he had Valentine jailed. Another version says that Claudius was attempting to recruit men for his army, and banned marriage because he felt that only single men made good soldiers. The priest, Valentine, thought this was unfair and secretly married couples in the Christian church. When Claudius found out, he had Valentine jailed for the offense.

There are multiple stories about Valentine’s jail time. It seems that he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter. I like the version which says he cured her of blindness. Either way, he supposedly wrote her love notes signed, “From your Valentine”. In the tragic version of this tale, Claudius found out about this love affair and had Valentine beaten to death and beheaded on February 14, 269 AD (or 270 AD).

In 469 AD Pope Gelasius declared the day in honor of St. Valentine. Through the centuries the Christian holiday became a time to exchange love messages and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers.

The Europeans believed that on February 14th, the birds began to choose their mates. In “Parlement of Foules” (1382) Geoffrey Chaucer wrote, “For this was Seynt Valentine’s Day when every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.” Shakespeare mentions the holiday in ‘Hamlet’, having Ophelia ruefully declare, “Tomorrow is St. Valentine’s Day.”(I know how she felt!) The poet Drayton wrote verses entitled, “To His Valentine” in which he expressed the idea of the birds mating on St. Valentine’s Day.

Each little bird this tide
Doth choose her beloved peer,
Which constantly abide
In wedlock all the year.

Have a very Happy Valentine’s Day!