The history of Valentine’s Day dates back to long ago, but its real story is still more rumor than fact. One guess historians have made about its origin is its relation to an ancient Roman feast, celebrated on February 15th called the Feast of Lupercalia, which celebrated fertility. During the feast, the Romans sacrificed a goat and a dog to the god of agriculture, Faunus, and then used the skins of the animals to whip women. Historians have said that the feast also included a ritual where a man chose a woman’s name out of a jar. They were then “coupled” for the duration of the year, or even longer.
Another theory historians have made would be that Valentine’s Day originated from a mid-winter celebration in ancient Greece to celebrate the two gods, Zeus and Hera’s marriage, though the more common belief was that Valentine’s Day was created based on Roman feast. When the Christians took over and Rome became a largely Christian empire, Lupercalia was outlawed because it was considered “un-Christan”, states an article titled “History of Valentine’s Day”.
“If Valentine’s Day is based on the feast Lupercalia or a Greek celebration, why is it called St. Valentine’s Day?” This question has been asked for centuries, and the details are still unclear. According to the History of Valentine’s Day (the article stated above), legend says that Valentine was a priest who served in Rome and conducted marriages for young soldiers against Emperor Claudius the II, who thought single men made better soldiers. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, he was put to death.
Other people also think that Valentine was executed for trying to help Christians escape Roman prisons. According to the legend, Valentine fell in love with a girl, possibly be his jailer’s daughter, and sent her a letter before his death signed “From your Valentine”, an expression still used today. It was in the early 13th century that Valentine’s Day began to be associated with love and romance, because it was believed that the bird’s mating season started on February 14th.
Today, Valentine’s day is one of the most celebrated holidays around the world, with over 18.2 billion dollars (136.57 dollars per person!) spent on things such as cards, candy and chocolate, jewelry, and flowers, according to the National Retail Federation (and the Greeting Card Association). In total, that’s 250 roses produced for Valentine’s day, 190 million cards exchanged which is more than all other holidays except for Christmas– 35 million heart-shaped boxes sold, and as many as 6 million couples are likely to get engaged on February 14th!
Many middle school students have varied opinions on this particular holiday. In a survey taken by middle school students, four people answered that they only liked it for the candy, two answered that they thought it was terrible and boring, but a surprising amount of six out of twelve thought that Valentine’s day was fun, and a special day to show appreciation and love.
Tiffany Lu, a sixth-grader from Cabin John Middle School, answered in the survey, “[Valentine’s Day] is a fun holiday to represent love and I can’t imagine the world without love and families sharing this holiday together.”
Yoyo Yu, a sixth-grader also from Cabin John, states in her reply, “I think Valentine’s Day is very nice. It’s a chance for people to show their appreciation to people they love.”
Another response from Ellen Bu, a sixth-grader at Robert Frost Middle School, writes in her response, “It is fun because you receive gifts and you give love.” Turns out, Valentine’s Day is a special holiday to many different groups of people, including the younger generation.
Article by Reanna Jin of Cabin John Middle School
Graphic by Sophia Li of Takoma Park Middle School