February has arrived, and with it comes that familiar time of year. No, I’m not referring to Black History Month. I’m Nigerian, we are all black here. I mean Valentine’s Day, the festival dedicated to Cupid – the little gremlin often mistaken for an angel. It’s quite peculiar that Cupid, to inspire love, resorts to shooting people with arrows. Wasn’t there any other way? Though these arrows symbolize love, they are still arrows, after all. I understand that it’s a metaphorical representation of being smitten by love, but you can tell my sensitivity towards Valentine’s Day from the somewhat dismissive tone of this introduction. However, don’t let that discourage you. I assure you that this article will provide valuable information. Regardless of whether you plan on participating in grand gestures of affection and contrived chivalry or simply spending a quiet evening with your phone on Valentine’s Day (sigh), let’s delve into the origins of this widely celebrated holiday dedicated to love.
THE ROMANS DID IT FIRST
Surprisingly, the inspiration for Valentine’s Day can be traced back to an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia, also referred to as Dies Februatus, meaning “the purification.” This festival, from which the month of February derives its name, was held annually and aimed to honor Lupercus, the god of fertility. However, here’s where things get interesting. Lupercalia wasn’t originally intended to be a romantic celebration, as the deity it was named after was associated solely with livestock fertility. Essentially, Lupercus was the god of animal fertility, not human fertility.
Thus, Lupercalia primarily served as a festival for shepherds, not lovers. It occurred each year on February 14th at the Lupercal, a cave where Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome, were believed to have been nurtured by a she-wolf under the watchful eye of the god Lupercus. The festival involved people gathering at the cave to sacrifice goats and young dogs to Lupercus, as these animals were known for their fertility.
In return, it was believed that their livestock would be blessed with a fruitful breeding season. Following the completion of the sacrifices, two young men would approach a vat filled with animal blood and gently touch their foreheads with a sword dipped in the blood. Subsequently, half-naked men would adorn themselves with the skins of the sacrificed animals, resembling the appearance of the god Lupercus. These men would then use strips of animal skin to whip women who willingly offered themselves up for this ritual, as they believed it would increase their chances of conceiving and make childbirth easier. Imagine if we celebrated Valentine’s day today like the Roman’s did!
SOMETHING BORROWED?
During the medieval period, Christianity not only sought to convert individuals but also assimilated certain pagan festivals into its own traditions. Examples of such assimilation include Christmas, Halloween, and Easter, all of which have pagan origins but were embraced and reinterpreted by Christianity. Valentine’s Day, it seems, falls into the same category. While there is no documented evidence indicating that Christianity directly adopted Lupercalia as a new holiday of love, it is worth noting that the final Lupercalia celebration coincided with the 5th century, around the time when Pope Gelasius I declared that Saint Valentine’s Day would be celebrated on February 14th, the day preceding Lupercalia. Pope Gelasius I was known for his strong disapproval of Lupercalia and paganism in general.
However, it should be clarified that there are records suggesting that Gelasius deliberately positioned Saint Valentine’s Day in close proximity to Lupercalia as a strategic means to phase out the pagan festival. Nevertheless, one thing is certain: the new holiday was established to honor Saint Valentinus. The question remains, though, who exactly was this saint?
WHO WAS SAINT VALENTINE?
The true identity of Saint Valentine remains somewhat of a mystery, as there were actually three individuals with that name, and their stories have been largely embellished and cannot be considered historically accurate. One of the earliest Saint Valentines was killed in Africa, along with 24 soldiers. Unfortunately, we have very little information about this particular saint and the circumstances of their death. However, it is likely that this Valentine was present in Africa to carry out conversions.
Another Saint Valentine was a Roman priest named Valentinus, whose story was recorded in the Acta. It should be noted that the historical reliability of the Acta has been questioned by scholars. According to the Acta, Valentinus was arrested during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. This particular Valentine secretly performed marriages for the emperor’s soldiers, despite the emperor’s decree forbidding them from getting married, as he believed that marriage would distract his troops from their duties. It is believed that the association between the heart shape and Valentine’s Day originated from the clandestine marriages officiated by Saint Valentine.
The saint would reportedly give the newlywed soldiers parchment cut in the shape of hearts as a symbol of their marital union with their wives. When the emperor discovered this, Valentine was thrown into prison, specifically into the custody of an aristocrat named Asterius. However, over time, Asterius himself became a convert to Christianity after Saint Valentine miraculously healed his daughter’s blindness. Astonishingly, Asterius’ entire family agreed to be baptized as well. Emperor Claudius II eventually learned of this second act of betrayal, and as a result, he ordered the execution of the entire family, with Valentinus being beheaded. In honor of his sacrifice, Pope Gelasius established the holiday on the suspected day of Saint Valentine’s death, February 14th.
The third and final contender for the true inspiration behind Valentine’s Day was another priest named Valentinus, whose tale closely resembles the previous account. However, there are some slight variations. In this version, Valentinus miraculously healed the son of his captor instead of the daughter, and the events took place in Terni, a city located in Central Italy, rather than Rome. It is possible, though, that this Valentinus was actually the same person as the previous one, and each city developed its own version of his story.
The truth is, we cannot be certain if any of these Valentinus figures actually existed in real life. When Pope Gelasius established the holiday, he evidently had someone specific in mind, but due to the inadequate record-keeping practices of the Church during the 5th century, we will never truly know who this individual was or what deeds they performed to deserve such recognition. Nevertheless, it was not until much later in history that the holiday took on its romantic connotations.
WHEN VALENTINE’S BECAME VALENTINE’S
It is certain that regardless of which Valentinus it was, the romantic nature of Valentine’s Day has no direct connection to the individual himself. The introduction of romance to the holiday is believed to have occurred a full 1,000 years after its establishment. Prior to the publication of “Parlement of Foules” by Geoffrey Chaucer in 1382, there was no indication that Valentine’s Day had any association with romance. Chaucer’s poem mentions, “For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird comes there to choose his mate. Of every species that men know, I say, and so great a multitude did they make that the earth and sea and tree, and every lake was so full, that there was hardly space for me to stand, so full it was of birds in every place.” Following the circulation of this poem, European nobility with an appreciation for nature began exchanging love notes during the bird-mating season. However, it is worth noting that the traditions we have become accustomed to, such as gift exchanges, romantic dinners, and candlelit settings, were not widely practiced among the common people at that time.
The next notable reference to Valentine’s Day appears in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, which was published in the 1600s. In Act 4, Scene 5, Ophelia, a potential love interest for Hamlet, sings a song that mentions Valentine’s Day. The lyrics go, “Tomorrow is Saint Valentine’s day, all in the morning, bedtime. And I, a maid at your window, to be your Valentine. Then up, he rose, and donned his clothes, and opened the chamber door. Let in the maid that out a maid never departed more.” This demonstrates that Valentine’s Day had started to gain recognition in mainstream culture by the 1600s, as evidenced by its inclusion in Shakespeare’s work and the writings of Samuel Pepys.
As time went on, the holiday began to be commercialized, with opportunists capitalizing on its popularity. The Industrial Revolution, particularly in the mid-1800s, played a significant role in this process. Previously, Valentine letters were often handmade, but advances in technology allowed for the mass production of pre-made cards, which were more accessible to the general public and featured elaborate decorations beyond what could be achieved by hand.
Over time, the holiday has evolved into a significant commercial event, with people spending billions of dollars each year to express their love for others. The color red became synonymous with the celebration, and symbols such as hearts and Cupid (all introduced much later in the 18th and 19th centuries) have also been associated as elements of Valentine’s Day rituals.
In conclusion, the origins of Valentine’s Day are shrouded in mystery and historical uncertainties. The stories of Saint Valentine, while intriguing, are subject to debate and interpretation. The holiday’s transformation from a day commemorating a saint’s martyrdom to a celebration of romantic love took place over centuries, influenced by literature, cultural changes, and commercialization.
However, should the origins of Valentine’s Day matter? This writer answers yes. But, it is not solely my decision to make. The importance of Valentine’s Day’s origins ultimately rests with each individual. The personal meaning one attaches to the holiday, the love shared, and the relationships cherished are what truly matters.
Therefore, dear reader, I leave it to you to decide whether the origins of Valentine’s Day hold significance for you or not as it were.
