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What is Valentine’s Day?

Every year on the 14th of February people mark Valentine’s Day* by celebrating their love with roses, cards*, and cosy dinners for two but the origins of Valentine’s Day suggest it’s a much darker celebration.

It’s a day that’s changed so much over time that many of us wouldn’t recognise the real origins of Valentine’s Day today.  The day of love is one of the oldest celebrations in Europe, with its roots reaching back hundreds of years before Saint Valentine was walking around Rome.  Back in the day, it was all about prancing naked through the streets and animal sacrifices(!), but it’s safe to say these traditions have been swapped for newer (and safer) ones these days.

However you choose to celebrate it, it’s important to be in the know about the true origins of this annual event.

What are the origins of Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day originated in the 6th century BCE and comes from the Lupercalia festival, a pagan celebration of fertility that occurred on February 15th in Rome every year.

Many hundreds of years later English poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the poem ‘Parliament of Fowls‘.  It describes a gathering of birds in early springtime, “on seynt valentynes day”, and so the day then became about love.

Who was Saint Valentine?

In the 3rd century CE the man who would later become Saint Valentine was executed by Roman Emperor Claudius II.  While there are many legends about him and others with the same name, it’s widely believed that Claudius sent Valentine to prison for helping loved-up Christian couples get married at a time when it was forbidden.

During his time in prison, Valentine tutored a blind young woman called Julia who was the daughter of his jailer.  The story goes that God restored Julia’s sight after the two prayed together.  And on the evening before his execution, Valentine wrote a note to her and signed it with, “From your Valentine”*.

Despite the multiple legends around this man, and others like him, Pope Gelasius I and the Catholic Church declared this Valentine a saint and listed him as a martyr on February 14th – technically inventing St Valentine’s Day.

But the Valentine’s Day we know today, with the cards and chocolates*, really became highly commercialised as late as 1985.  This was when Hallmark launched their Valentine’s Day advertisements in the USA, claiming themselves to be “The Valentine’s Store“.

Fascinating Facts about Valentine’s Day:

• Each year Brits are expected to spend £262 million on flowers* for Valentine’s Day.  Red roses have been confirmed as the most popular choice.  Further stats reveal that 65% of people exchange cards on the day, whilst 14% of Brits expect chocolate to mark the romantic occasion.
• The first heart-shaped box of chocolates* was revealed in 1861.  It was created by none other than Richard Cadbury, son of Cadbury founder John Cadbury.
• 250 million roses are said to be grown especially for Valentine’s Day each year.
• Henry VIII made Valentine’s Day an official holiday in England in 1537.
• In the Middle Ages, men and women wore the name of their Valentine on their jacket so everyone could see.  This is where we get the phrase “wear your heart on your sleeve“.
• The longest kiss lasted 58 hours, 35 minutes and 58 seconds, achieved by a Thai couple, Ekkachai Tiranarat and Laksana Tiranarat, at an event organised by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in Pattaya, Thailand, on 12th – 14th February 2013.
• The largest box of chocolates is a Thorntons* Moments box weighing 3,725 lbs (1,689 kg).  It was produced by Thorntons and Russell Beck Studios, and weighed in Bethnal Green, London, UK, on 2nd April 2008.  The box was 16 ft 6 inches long, 11 feet 2 inches wide and 3 feet 3 1/2 inches deep.
• The largest teddy bear* measures 19.41 m (63 ft 8 in) in length, and was constructed in Estado de México, on 28th April 2019.
• Pet owners in the UK will spend £200 million on Valentine’s gifts for their animals.
• Around 25 million Valentine’s cards are sent in the UK every year and the average spend for the day is £86.02.
• Various traditions around the world also include non-romantic love in Valentine’s celebrations.  In Finland, people celebrate Ystavanpaiva (Friend’s Day) on February 14th.  While in Mexico, the day is called Dia del Amor y La Amistad.  This means the day of love and friendship.
• Writers of ‘Parks and Recreation‘ invented the phrase “Galentine’s Day*” in 2010.  “Galentine’s Day” is on February 13th when groups of female friends get together to share their platonic love for each other.

However you celebrate we hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!