The Original Intention of Valentines Day

When we think of valentines day we tend to imagine it as a celebration of love and romance, but the original intention of valentines day was quite different. The holiday gets its name from a saint who was actually a Christian martyr.

The story goes that he was a priest in Rome during the 3rd century. The Emperor Claudius II had outlawed marriage because he believed that married men were less dedicated to the army as they would have wives and families that would distract them from their military duties. Valentine disagreed with the emperor and continued to perform marriages in secret. When the emperor learned of his actions he ordered the priest to be put to death. Before he could be killed however, the priest performed a miracle by restoring sight to a blind girl. This is how the saint gained his benevolent reputation and became known as St. Valentine.

The Catholic Church then adopted the saint and his death as a celebration of love and affection. They also linked the holiday to the pagan Roman celebration Lupercalia, which took place during February. The Lupercalia festival was one in which men would sacrifice a goat and a dog and whip women with the hides of the animals. This was believed to be a fertility ritual that promoted fertility. (What?!?) In the 5th century, Pope Gelasius ended Lupercalia and replaced it with a feast to honor Saint Valentine.

Despite the darker origins of this holiday, it became popular in the 19th century to exchange gifts of flowers and handwritten notes that were signed “your Valentine.” The first valentine business was run by Esther Howland in Worcester, Massachusetts in the 1840’s. Her father had an insurance agency and she asked him to import fancy paper, lace and other decorations from England so she could create the cards that were becoming so popular.

In the 1870’s chocolate mogul John Cadbury began selling heart shaped boxes of chocolates, which are now an integral part of valentines day. People also started sending what are called Vinegar Valentines, which were sent by scorned lovers, cantankerous neighbors or business and political enemies to disparage someone.

The modern day valentine’s day is a time to show those who are important to us that we care about them. But the original intention of valentines day was about a more complicated relationship between romantic love and the economic reality of marriage. For many people in the middle class of that era, if you wanted to marry someone, you had to be sure they were the person who could support you. The exchange of valentines helped to test this relationship and see if it was truly the one for you.

Although the history of valentines day is murky and dark, the meaning of valentines day is clear: Love, friendship, and kindness matter most. The important thing is to remember to show those special people in your life how much you care about them on this day and all throughout the year.

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