Valentine’s Day

Saint Valentine’s Day, or simply Valentine’s Day, is the name of a feast celebrated on February 14 every year. The exact origin of this feast is unknown. For one thing, it is not clear which saint named Valentine is honoured on this day, for as many as seven Christian saints have shared that name.

In addition, it appears that the festival actually originated as a replacement for the Roman feast of Lupercalia, celebrated each year on February 15. The feast took place at the cave called Lupercal, where legend said the twin founders of Rome—Romulus and Remus—were sheltered and suckled in their infancy by a she-wolf.

During Lupercalia, the youths of the city sacrificed goats, then feasted on the meat and adorned themselves with pieces of the goatskins. After a rowdy dinner with much wine, they would run through the streets, striking everyone they met with the goatskins, especially young married women, who viewed this as an aid to fertility.

The feast of Lupercalia also marked the first day of spring and of the new year. On that occasion, the young men drew the names of young women and so were matched as couples for the year. Sometimes they married; sometimes they did not.

In the late 5th century, Pope Gelasius banned the celebration of Lupercalia and chose February 14 as the feast day of Saint Valentine. The young people still drew names—not each other’s but a saint’s name—and were encouraged to model their lives on the life of that saint during the coming year.

In medieval times, the custom of drawing lots swung back from saints to romantic mates. Each young man would wear his partner’s name on his breast or sleeve to indicate his devotion; and this custom gave rise to the saying "wear your heart on your sleeve," which means to make your love public.

In Britain, Chaucer, Shakespeare and many other writers referred to the popular belief that on February 14 the birds chose their mates and began their spring nesting season. The young women of medieval times tried to divine who their mate would be by watching the birds on February 14; if a girl saw a robin, she would marry a sailor; if it was a goldfinch, she would find a rich husband; and if the first bird seen was a sparrow, she would marry a poor man but live "happily ever after."

Valentine’s Day customs became particularly elaborate during Victorian times: fancy cards decorated with pictures and lace were handmade or bought and given to current or potential sweethearts. Heart-shaped boxes of chocolates first appeared in the 1880s. Flowers were often exchanged as love tokens, and each colour and variety had a particular meaning. (For more information on the meanings assigned to different flowers, see FLORIOGRAPHY.)

For decades now, Valentine’s Day has been popular with children, greeting card and candy manufacturers, and romantics of all kinds. Whether you celebrate St. Valentine’s Day romantically or ignore it, the traditions surrounding February 14 are here to stay!

© Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada, 2024
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