The origins of Valentine's Day
Some eagerly await it to give and receive tokens of love, others dread its arrival as a harbinger of melancholy: Valentine's Day celebrates lovers every February 14th, warming this cold winter day with sweet words and tender gestures. Couples exchange cards adorned with heartfelt declarations, flowers, fine chocolates, or other gifts and treats.
If this holiday is now widely celebrated across the world and carries with it its share of symbols and superstitions, what about its meaning and its historical origins? Between Christian roots, pagan festivals, and natural phenomena, let's trace together the origins of Valentine's Day.
But who exactly is this Valentine?
In ancient Rome, around the 3rd century, reigned Claudius II, a tyrannical emperor and warlord known for his stony heart. Having observed that married men, wishing to remain with their wives and children, were less willing than others to enlist in the army, he decided to ban all marriages in his empire. Only a priest named Valentine of Terni took the risk of defying these orders and secretly continued to unite lovers through the bonds of marriage. When the Roman emperor learned of this transgression, he ordered his execution.
According to legend, it was this poor Valentine who lost his life in the name of love and was canonized by the Pope in 498. He is celebrated on February 14th, along with 3 other martyred saints named Valentine. It was not until 1496 that Pope Alexander VI officially made Valentine of Terni the patron saint of lovers.
Saint Valentine and Lupercalia: The pagan origins
It is no coincidence that many Christian holidays were established on dates that already hosted other celebrations. The transition from Lupercalia to Valentine's Day perfectly illustrates this phenomenon.
Even before the founding of Rome, a pagan festival called Lupercalia was celebrated in honor of the god Faunus. In Roman mythology, Faunus was the god of rural lands (fields, meadows, forests...). These festivities, which took place from February 13th to 15th around the Palatine Hill, aimed to bring purification and fertility to the people. To achieve this, pagans undertook various rituals aimed at encouraging reproduction, between sacrifices and frenzied races punctuated by lashings intended to promote successful pregnancies in young women.
At the advent of the Christian religion, these rituals seemed, to say the least, scandalous, and history tells that Julius Caesar tried to change the nature of this festival to make it more conform to monotheistic society, in vain. Until the day, in 494, Pope Gelasius I definitively put an end to this tradition. To replace this New Year's festival, he decided to make February 14th the day of celebration of Saint Valentine, which did not completely shed the connotation of union and fertility that characterized the pagan festival.
So does this mean that Roman men and women were already exchanging velvet kisses on this February 14th? How did we go from pagan sacrifices to red roses and words of love?
The lovers' holiday
While history already hinted at a romantic future for this winter day, it is in writings dating back to medieval England that we find the first mentions of Valentine's Day in direct connection with love. It is by examining 14th-century documents that we can trace the meaning of this myth according to English poets.
Indeed, February 14th would be none other than the beginning of the mating season for birds. Thus, all begin to sing and perform their courtship rituals in order to attract a partner and perhaps form a couple of "lovebirds". This natural phenomenon, combined with the historical elements of this date, contributes, year after year, to building the set of beliefs and customs that surround Valentine's Day as it is today.
Nowadays, Valentine's Day is a true institution that couples enjoy to lavish attention on each other, and above all, to take the time to show their love. It is a special day for marriage proposals, pregnancy announcements, and future plans. Thousands of cards and gifts are sent around the world; red roses – emblems of passionate love – cover the windows of florists; macarons and chocolates, generous, delicate, and sensual treats, are offered and enjoyed by loved ones without moderation.
To honor this tradition and offer a refined moment of pleasure to your partner on this special occasion, discover our special selection of gift ideas for Valentine's Day.
