The origin of Valentine’s Day has been traced back to ancient Roman times, though not as a romantic tale. The truth of the day is far more gruesome than celebrated today.
The title ¨Valentine’s Day¨ is in reference to Saint Valentine, a figure from 200 AD, whose name is mentioned in many rumors. Though the truth about Valentine is not confirmed, there are plenty of stories about his life.
One tale about Saint Valentine recalls him to have been jailed for refusing to convert religions, leading to his planned death in 270 AD. Before he was killed, he fell in love with a woman, and wrote her a letter on the day of his execution, signed ¨from your Valentine¨.
The actual date, the 14 of February, is rumored to have originated with a festival, Lupercalia, that the ancient Romans threw to celebrate the upcoming spring and harvest. Some sources say that the festival included a ritual in which men and women are chosen for each other by the draw of a hat.
The history of Valentine’s Day varies based on the source, and in the modern day, the holiday changes country to country. There are also traditions that only some cultures carry out.
In the United States, some popular traditions include giving out flowers, candy, and letters to your partner to show appreciation. In Germany, pigs are a symbol of love, so couples often give pig-shaped gifts such as plushies and cookies.
While some countries have different meanings for the holiday compared to the United States, like Finland, where people celebrate friendships instead of partnerships, others chose a different day of the year. Brazil celebrates their own version of Valentine’s Day, called Dia dos Namorados, in June instead of February.
There are a plethora of expectations of public displays that arise as Valentine’s Day approaches. In Japan, the type of chocolate that one gives reveals who they love. ¨Honmei choco¨ is given to a romantic interest, while ¨giri choco¨ is for friends. In South Africa, many women will attach the name of the one they love to their shirt, as a nod to the phrase ¨wearing their heart on their sleeve¨.
Although Valentine’s Day is celebrated in so many different ways around the world, the foundation of it is love and each country has their own way of expressing that. The origin story of the holiday isn’t all fact, but the moral stands strong throughout the renditions that love conquers all.
