Many think of Valentine's Day as just a day commemorating Cupid and love or a Hallmark holiday. Have you ever wondered how this day dedicated to love came to be? There are a lot of stories and symbolism related to the celebration of Valentines Day. We have done our research and selected 14 fun and interesting facts about the February 14th.
It has Pagan Roots
Historians believe Valentine's Day began in Ancient Rome as a pagan festival called Lupercalia. Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. The festival began with members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, gathering at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood pool and take to the streets, whipping the women with the goat hide. Although painful, Roman women welcomed the slap of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile.
It officially became a holiday associated with love and romance
Lupercalia was outlawed at the end of the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance.
There are a few Saint Valentines
You can celebrate Valentine’s Day several times a year
Because of the abundance of St. Valentines on the Roman Catholic roster, you can choose to celebrate the saint multiple times each year. Besides February 14, you might decide to celebrate St. Valentine of Viterbo on November 3. Or maybe you want to get a jump on the traditional Valentine celebration by feting St. Valentine of Raetia on January 7. Women might choose to honor the only female St. Valentine (Valentina), a virgin martyred in Palestine on July 25, A.D. 308. The Eastern Orthodox Church officially celebrates St. Valentine twice, once as an elder of the church on July 6 and once as a martyr on July 30.
You can find Valentine’s skull in Rome
The flower-adorned skull of St. Valentine is on display in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome. In the early 1800s, the excavation of a catacomb near Rome yielded skeletal remains and other relics now associated with St. Valentine. As is customary, these bits and pieces of the late saint’s body have subsequently been distributed to reliquaries around the world. You’ll find other bits of St. Valentine’s skeleton on display in the Czech Republic, Ireland, Scotland, England and France.
The first valentines were sent in the 15th century
Esther Howland is the first manufacturer of Valentines
Americans now send millions of Valentine's Day cards each year
The Heart is the Symbol of Love
If you ever wondered why everywhere you look on Valentine’s Day there are hearts all around, it's because it's a belief in the Christian faith that the heart is the seat of all emotions, especially love. And since love is the dominant feeling of the day, the heart is now a great symbol of the holiday. Wearing your heart on your sleeve is more than just a phrase. In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their Valentine would be. According to the Smithsonian, they would wear this name pinned onto their sleeves for one week so that everyone would know their true feelings. This was the origin of the expression "to wear your heart on your sleeve."
The most popular gift on Valentine's Day is flowers
The favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess is the red rose. The rose bud stands for strong romantic feelings, so it's no surprise they make up the most popular Valentine's Day bouquets. Approximately 50 million roses are received on Valentine’s Day around the world, making it the most popular gift followed by chocolate and then jewelry.
The Heart Shaped box has been around for more than 140 years
In addition to creating arguably the richest, creamiest, and sweetest chocolate on the market, Richard Cadbury also introduced the first box of Valentine's Day chocolates in 1868, According to History.com. Today, more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are sold each year. That's 58 million pounds of chocolate. According to the National Confectioners Association, caramels are the most popular flavor in chocolate boxes, followed by chocolate-covered nuts, chocolate-filled, cream-filled, and coconut.
Necco Sweethearts date back to early 1900’s
In 1847, Boston pharmacist Oliver Chase invented a machine that simplified the lozenge production process, resulting in the first candy-making machine, according to The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. After identifying an opportunity to revolutionize the candy business, Chase shifted his focus to candy production with Necco wafers. It wasn't until 15 years after the creation of Necco wafers that Daniel Chase's brother, Oliver Chase, developed a way to press words onto the candy lozenges with a felt roller pad and vegetable food coloring. According to The Huffington Post, the conversation candies officially became heart-shaped in 1902. Now more than 8 billion conversation hearts are manufactured each year. Necco must start making them just days after February 14 to have enough in time for the next Valentine's Day. Each box has approximately 45 sayings and ten new saying are added every year.
Cupid, Who?
Not all Countries Celebrate the same....
*Finland calls Valentine’s Day- Ystävänpäivä, which translates into ‘Friend’s day’. It’s all about celebrating your friends rather than your partner. * In Japan, it's customary for just the women to give confections to the men in their lives, with the quality of the chocolate indicating their true feelings, according to Fortune. On March 14, the men repay the favor by celebrating the increasingly popular "White Day. *Lovebirds flock to Bangkok’s Bangrak district, Thailand’s “Village of Love” to be married on Valentine’s Day. They believe the aptly named village will ensure them a long-lasting marriage, and they begin lining up outside the Bangrak district office in the wee hours of the morning. *Each year, the city of Verona receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet on Valentine’s Day. Verona is where Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet lived. *The concept of Saint Valentine’s keys is famous throughout Europe. People give keys to their lovers "as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver’s heart". In some parts of Europe, Valentine’s Day, also known as the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated on July 6 and July 30.
Historians believe Valentine's Day began in Ancient Rome as a pagan festival called Lupercalia. Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. The festival began with members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, gathering at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood pool and take to the streets, whipping the women with the goat hide. Although painful, Roman women welcomed the slap of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile.
Lupercalia was outlawed at the end of the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance.
Because of the abundance of St. Valentines on the Roman Catholic roster, you can choose to celebrate the saint multiple times each year. Besides February 14, you might decide to celebrate St. Valentine of Viterbo on November 3. Or maybe you want to get a jump on the traditional Valentine celebration by feting St. Valentine of Raetia on January 7. Women might choose to honor the only female St. Valentine (Valentina), a virgin martyred in Palestine on July 25, A.D. 308. The Eastern Orthodox Church officially celebrates St. Valentine twice, once as an elder of the church on July 6 and once as a martyr on July 30.
The flower-adorned skull of St. Valentine is on display in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome. In the early 1800s, the excavation of a catacomb near Rome yielded skeletal remains and other relics now associated with St. Valentine. As is customary, these bits and pieces of the late saint’s body have subsequently been distributed to reliquaries around the world. You’ll find other bits of St. Valentine’s skeleton on display in the Czech Republic, Ireland, Scotland, England and France.
If you ever wondered why everywhere you look on Valentine’s Day there are hearts all around, it's because it's a belief in the Christian faith that the heart is the seat of all emotions, especially love. And since love is the dominant feeling of the day, the heart is now a great symbol of the holiday. Wearing your heart on your sleeve is more than just a phrase. In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their Valentine would be. According to the Smithsonian, they would wear this name pinned onto their sleeves for one week so that everyone would know their true feelings. This was the origin of the expression "to wear your heart on your sleeve."
The favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess is the red rose. The rose bud stands for strong romantic feelings, so it's no surprise they make up the most popular Valentine's Day bouquets. Approximately 50 million roses are received on Valentine’s Day around the world, making it the most popular gift followed by chocolate and then jewelry.
In addition to creating arguably the richest, creamiest, and sweetest chocolate on the market, Richard Cadbury also introduced the first box of Valentine's Day chocolates in 1868, According to History.com. Today, more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are sold each year. That's 58 million pounds of chocolate. According to the National Confectioners Association, caramels are the most popular flavor in chocolate boxes, followed by chocolate-covered nuts, chocolate-filled, cream-filled, and coconut.
In 1847, Boston pharmacist Oliver Chase invented a machine that simplified the lozenge production process, resulting in the first candy-making machine, according to The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. After identifying an opportunity to revolutionize the candy business, Chase shifted his focus to candy production with Necco wafers. It wasn't until 15 years after the creation of Necco wafers that Daniel Chase's brother, Oliver Chase, developed a way to press words onto the candy lozenges with a felt roller pad and vegetable food coloring. According to The Huffington Post, the conversation candies officially became heart-shaped in 1902. Now more than 8 billion conversation hearts are manufactured each year. Necco must start making them just days after February 14 to have enough in time for the next Valentine's Day. Each box has approximately 45 sayings and ten new saying are added every year.
*Finland calls Valentine’s Day- Ystävänpäivä, which translates into ‘Friend’s day’. It’s all about celebrating your friends rather than your partner. * In Japan, it's customary for just the women to give confections to the men in their lives, with the quality of the chocolate indicating their true feelings, according to Fortune. On March 14, the men repay the favor by celebrating the increasingly popular "White Day. *Lovebirds flock to Bangkok’s Bangrak district, Thailand’s “Village of Love” to be married on Valentine’s Day. They believe the aptly named village will ensure them a long-lasting marriage, and they begin lining up outside the Bangrak district office in the wee hours of the morning. *Each year, the city of Verona receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet on Valentine’s Day. Verona is where Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet lived. *The concept of Saint Valentine’s keys is famous throughout Europe. People give keys to their lovers "as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver’s heart". In some parts of Europe, Valentine’s Day, also known as the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated on July 6 and July 30.
