The History of St. Valentines Day

Valentine's Day is a day celebrated on February 14. In America and Europe it is a day in which people express love by sending cards, flowers, chocolates, or other gifts of a romantic or loving nature. Symbols that typify the celebration of Valentine's Day include hearts, cupid, and doves.

There has been some speculation that maybe the romantic association Valentine's Day was linked to Greco-Roman February holidays devoted to fertility and love, though this is probably not where Valentines Day got its origin. It is also considered immaterial to most specialists that the period around Valentine's Day was also linked to the ancient Athenian calendar as the month of Gamelion, which was dedicated to the marriage of Zeus and Hera. These are believed to basically be coincidences, thus, it is pretty much believed that the origins of Valentine's Day actually came from Christian martyrs whose names were Valentine.

Valentine's Day is named for two early Christian martyrs named Valentine. Nobody knows much about these saints (or saint) except that his burial place is at the Via Flaminia, north of Rome. He was buried on February 14th, hence the date for the holiday. The day itself, however, was not associated with romance or love until later, namely the time of Geoffrey Chaucer in the high middle ages. Back in this time, love flourished with popular courtly love of the time, and sparked a kind of romantic era in general. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a poem in 1382 in honor of the first anniversary of the engagement of Anne of Bohemia to King Richard II of England, and this poem, titled 'Parlement of Foules', is where Valentines day was first associated with love and romance.

In 1400, a 'High Court of Love' was established on Valentine's Day in Paris. This court dealt with such issues as betrayals, love contracts, and violence against women. Courts that were staffed by 10 to 70 women would hear cases of love, and then rule on them. It is controversial as to whether or not these courts actually ruled, or whether they were simply stories and/or frames of mind to live by. There is evidence to support that a court like this did indeed exist, though. The judges were selected by woman, and the decision was made by the woman after they heard the 'judge to be' recite poetry. One of the first Valentines that still survives today was a note written by Charles, Duke of Orleans back in the fifteenth-century. The not is a rondeau written to the Duke's valentined wife. Love in those days was extremely dramatic, romanticized, and drawn out with poetry, courtship, and good old fashioned 'wooing'.

So, you might ask, how has Valentine's Day become so prevalent in modern times? Well, back in the 1840s, a writer by the name of Leigh Eric Schmidt had a lot to do with this. You see, he wrote in 'Graham's American Monthly', and said that 'Saint Valentine's Day' is becoming, nay it has become, a national holyday. Soon after, Valentine cards were first mass-produced and sold. Esther Howland, whose father owned and operated a large book and stationary store in Worcester, Massachusetts, got the idea to mass produce valentines made of embossed paper lace. Apparently, the practice of giving Valentines cards was popular in England long before it was made popular here in the states, and in fact kind of migrated here as a result of English influence.

Nowadays, we celebrate St. Valentine's Day in many different ways. We express love to those who we view romantically by giving or sending notes, chocolates, flowers, or even jewelry. Stuffed animals and cupid-themed decorations are also a way we show affection for a loved one on Valentine's Day. However, the holiday is not always strictly a romantic one. For instance, kids will often give notes to all of their friends, not out of a romantic sense, but simply to be friendly and to celebrate the day. There are often parties to attend, couples going on dates, and husbands bring home flowers to their wives, etc. etc.

One thing that we must not forget is that St. Valentine's Day is a day to show appreciation and love for those around us, whether it be romantic love, the love of a friend, or even the love of another family member. It is important to take part in the positive activities of St. Valentines Day, if for no other reason than for the simple fact that everyone wants to be loved. And this is a day to show just how much your lover, friend, or family member means to you.