INTERESTING
February 14th is typically celebrated as Valentine’s Day in the United States and many countries across the world. Flowers, chocolates and jewelry, amongst other gifts, are typically exchanged between couples in a celebration of love. However, this holiday hasn’t always been the holiday of roses and heart shaped boxes of chocolates. While the day once commemorated the lives of one of several Christian saints, the origins of this mid-February celebration actually date back over 2000 years to the time of the Roman Empire or perhaps earlier.
Lupercalia was a Roman festival which was typically celebrated from February 13th to 15th and was a festival of fertility which also helped to signify the beginning of spring. Religious rites were performed within the city of Rome and, like many Roman religious festivals, animals were sacrificed in the belief that it would help spread fertility amongst those who took part in the celebration.
It wasn’t until 496 CE that February 14th became known as St. Valentine’s Day. The celebration was established by Pope Gelasius I to honor either St. Valentinius of Rome or St. Valentinius of Terni. Both of these men were Christian priests who were executed between the years of 269 CE and 273 CE. This was at a time when Christians were persecuted by the Romans for their beliefs. Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313 CE which granted religious freedom for Christians throughout the empire. Though there is no sufficient evidence to confirm this, it is thought that the date for the celebration of St. Valentine’s day may have been selected to help “Christianize” the festival of Lupercalia.
The first known reference to Valentine’s day as a day to be associated with love is in a poem called Parlement of Foules by the famous English poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, in 1382. Decades later, the first recorded “Valentine’s day card” was sent by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was being held captive in London. Numerous other references to the romantic holiday exist in the late middle ages and Renaissance period, most notably in the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare.
With the invention of the printing press and a more streamlined postal system, Valentine’s day cards became more popular in the early to mid-1800s. Cadbury is the first candy company to begin manufacturing heart-shaped boxes of chocolates in 1868. As the industrial revolution progressed, factories made it easier to mass produce greeting cards for the holiday which further increased the commercialization of the holiday. By the mid-1900s, the tradition of giving greeting cards and chocolates evolved into other gifts such as flowers and jewelry.
Today, Valentine’s day is a holiday celebrated in many countries regardless of religious beliefs or ideologies. Over the millennia, it has evolved from a religious festival, to a remembrance day, to a day for expressing our love for others. In the United States alone, expenditures are measured in the billions of dollars. As the day approaches, stores will be adorned with red hearts, flowers of all kinds and perhaps even cutouts of Cupid (also a reference to Roman religion). We at Orthopedics Rhode Island hope you all have a great day with your loved ones.
