Valentine’s Day is often known for candy hearts and cheesy romantic gestures, and rom coms about impossible love stories. However, this commercial celebration of affection goes back much further than meets the eye.
Originally, Valentine’s Day was a Christian feast day, meant to celebrate a martyr named Valentine. However, these origins are largely disputed, with many theories as to how the holiday began. It could have begun in Rome 4,000 years ago, in the name of a priest who defied the emperor. Or, it could be named after two men named Valentine who were executed on February 14th of different years.
However, the official beginning of Valentine’s Day was during the fifth century, when Pope Gelasius I declared February 14th to be a day of remembrance for St. Valentine. The holiday did not become associated with romantic love until the 14th or 15th centuries, but that is what we largely celebrate it for today.
Valentine’s Day becoming a celebration of love also connects back to St. Valentine, with many legends in circulation. Some claim that Valentine prayed with his jailer’s blind daughter, and God returned her sight. Then, Valentine sent her a letter that read, “Love, from your Valentine.” Another legend states that Valentine secretly married couples to spare soldiers from the war.
The date of February 14th became more significant in the Middle Ages, as Europeans commonly believed that it was the first day of mating season for birds. This, along with the legends of St. Valentine, made Valentine’s more like what we know today. The earliest Valentine’s cards appeared in the 1400s, with records showing that even kind Henry V sent one to his lover.
Through the 18-1900s, Valentine’s Day became more commercialized, with friends and spouses alike sending jovial Valentine’s greetings to one another. Eventually, candy companies began to capitalize on the celebration, leading to the rise of fun treats like conversation hearts.
Today, Hallmark estimates that 145 million Valentine’s cards are sent every year, and it has become a time where love is most definitely in the air.