By Tricia Chiarelli, Intern
Farewell Superbowl, hello Valentines Day!
Put those football shaped chip and dip trays away, it’s time for pink hearts, roses and chocolate.
A profitable holiday for merchandisers, 141 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion. (This total excludes packaged kids’ valentines for classroom exchanges.)
However, its beginnings had nothing to do with merchandising, at the heart of it all is St. Valentine.
How is a Christian Saint tied to the holiday that celebrates love?
According to a cadre of websites with data on Valentine’s Day, there are surprisingly three different tales about it which is named after St. Valentine. Ironically, at the end of the day, the arrow shooting, chubby cherub is remiss from the tales.
The most popular legend states that Valentine was a Roman priest in the third century. At that time Roman Emperor Claudius II ruled that young men who didn’t have the responsibility of wives or children were better suited to become soldiers.
After Valentine got wind of this idea, he was outraged and started preforming secret marriage ceremonies. After being caught and captured by the Romans he was eventually put to his death. Ouch the love holiday emanates from death because of marriage – perhaps hilarious for those whose nuptials include decades together.
Another variation of this folktale claims that Valentine was murdered for his attempt of trying to free tortured Christians in Rome where they were imprisoned. Yet, another twist to the story suggests that while in jail, after a visit from a young girl, believed to be his jailor’s daughter, Valentine fell in love. It was rumored that prior to his death he penned his love a note, signing it “From your Valentine.” That’s a wee bit scandalous .
Although not entirely clear, we can all gather from this antidote that regardless, Valentine was a romantic at heart.
Because of his popular stature, by the middle ages, Valentine was recognized as a Saint in France and England. A majority of people believed that we celebrated Valentine’s day in the middle of February to honor the anniversary of Valentine’s passing, that is said to have occurred A.D. 270. Others considered that in order to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia, the Christian Church ruled that the middle of February would be dedicated to St. Valentine.
What the heck was Lupercalia? Well this is where this particular tale gets a little more racy. Lupercalia was a festival to honor Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture. It was also dedicated to making Roman women more fertile for the coming year. Part of this celebration included the sacrificing of a goat for fertility and a dog for purification.
Priests would than walk around the streets gently hitting the crops and with women wearing with goat hide covered in canine’s blood.
Oddly enough, it was believed by the women that their ghastly and ritchpual would make them more fertile. According to the legend, later that day the woman would all place their names in a large jar and the city’s single men all picked a name out. The man and woman were then paired off for a year, this often ended up in marriage. It appears it was far more random than any of today’s popular dating sites! Throw on some dead goat and paint on some dog blood and bam, you could find a husband!
The festival was eventually perceived as “un-Christian” and therefore outlawed (unwed couples living together was apparently a big no no).
It was at the end of the 5th century that February 14th was alas declared St. Valentine’s Day by Pope Gelasius.
Although it was a growing trend to send Valentine greetings in the middle ages, Charles, Duke of Orleans was said to pen the very first Valentine in the form of a poem in 1415 to his wife while imprisoned.
So somehow, the Romans, fertility, crops, odd clothing, random pairing of people and a Christian saint lead us to Valentine’s Day. Not sure about you but I’ll enjoy my card and some chocolate from my boyfriend! Happy Valentine’s Day from the Messenger/Review
Did You Know?
In addition to the U.S., Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Denmark, Italy and Japan.
Over 50 percent of all Valentine’s Day cards are purchased in the six days prior to the observance, making Valentine’s Day a procrastinator’s delight. (Source: Hallmark research)
Research reveals that more than half of the U.S. population celebrates Valentine’s Day by purchasing a greeting card. (Source: Hallmark research)
Dedicated to my boyfriend Matt. Happy Valentine’s Day! I love you!