There are different versions of how Valentine's Day first came into
existence. The one point that most of the stories do agree upon is
that Valentine's Day began in the third century during the time of the
Roman Empire. We must also acknowledge that February 14th, began
as a pagan holiday which was in honour of Juno, who was the Queen of the
Roman Gods and Goddesses. She was also known as the Goddess of women
and marriage. Valentines Day also appears to have its origins from
the Feasts of Lupercalia, which was celebrated in February.
Another probability is that the Feasts of Lupercalia and the Feast for
Juno were combined with the date being moved back to the anniversary of
the martyrdom of St. Valentine.
Feasts of Lupercalia
For two hundred years after the death of Valentine, the Feasts of Lupercalia,
celebrated on February 15th, signified the coming of spring. It should
also be noted that according to the Roman calendar, February was observed
later in the year that is it today. Before 1582, people used a different
calendar and February 14th came on what is now February 24th. There are
two Roman gods who appear to have been honoured during this time of celebration.
Lupercus, was said to have watched over shepherds and their flocks.
Faunus was known as the god of flocks and fertility, the protector of crops,
fields, and shepherds. The purpose behind the Feasts of Lupercalia,
was to insure fertility of flocks, pastures as well as the people.
Palatine Hill, which is the supposed birthplace of Romulus and Remus,
was used for the sacrifices of goats and dogs on Lupercalia. After
the sacrifice young men known as Luperci would race through the streets
swinging goat-skinned thongs labelled Februa. They would lash out at the
women gathered there as this lashing was thought to guarantee fertility
and easy childbirth.
With the expansion of the Roman Empire, The Feasts of Lupercalia, sweep
throughout the entire Empire with changes being incorporated into the original
celebrations. Along with a variety of other pagan ceremonies, names of
Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed inside a container
on the eve of the Feasts of Lupercalia. Young men would then draw
a name from this container which meant he would be paired with that particular
girl for the duration of the festival. This pairing which could last
the entire year was done in the hopes they would fall in love, eventually
marrying. One myth is this exchange was the first form of valentines,
because it is believed that the young women may have included verses of
love along with their names.
Saint Valentine
Saint Valentine's Day derived its name from pastors of the Christian
Church in Rome who strived to do away with pagan elements of the
Feasts of Lupercalia. It was also decided to keep the celebration of the
new feast on the same day but to replace the names of Lupercus and
Faunus by the names of saints. The young men still continued the
custom of choosing maidens on this day, which in all probability is the
reason Valentine's Day has always been promoted as a day for lovers.
February 14th remained designated as a feast day until 1969, when it
was discarded from the Roman Catholic calendar. It was decided to
honour two Christian saints who were beheaded by the Roman Emperor Claudius
II on this same day. At least one of these saints was known as Saint
Valentine, although two are mentioned one being a priest and the other
a bishop. There are at least three different Saint Valentines who
were condemned to death because of their Christian beliefs mentioned in
the early martyrologies under the date of February 14th. For
further details see section on Saint Valentine.
Cupid
According to Greek mythology Cupid is also known as Amor as well as
Eros who was believed to be the "force love." Cupid is also referred
to as the son of Aphrodite who is known as the Goddess of love. Mythology
also states that Eros was responsible for impregnating a number of other
gods including Gaea, who is known as earth. The ancient Greeks believed
that love was the force responsible for all creation. Thus, the name "force
love."
The fact that Lupercalia was associated with fertility as
well as the pairing of maidens and young men and the myths surrounding
Cupid, they became entwined with Cupid being known as a patron of Valentines
Day. Enthusiasts who saw this as a day of love and romance chose
Cupid as the patron of Valentines Day. Since then he has always remained
an immense part of Valentine's Day with a clearly defined role.
When we think of Cupid, a distinct picture enters our minds. As
a god Cupid has always been displayed with wings, carrying a bow and quiver
of golden arrows. Even though Cupid is thought of as mischievous,
he is known to induce love with a single shot from one of his arrows.
Valentine Cards
During the 1700's and 1800's the custom of sending romantic verses became
very popular. There were books written which included verses and
well as various ideas on writing valentines. The first commercial valentines
were printed in the early 1800's. Kate Greenway, a British artist
became well known for valentine creations which featured happy children
and gardens. Esther A. Howland, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was
the first company to fabricate valentines after having seen ones produced
in England. She hired young women to help produce the cards and before
long her company had a gross income of $100,000.00 a year. Many of
the valentines produced during the 1800's were hand painted. Cupid
was a popular figure on valentines along with hearts at that time. Most
cards were lavishly done up with satin, ribbons and lace trim. Others
were decorated with dried flowers, imitation jewels or other articles of
nature. The penny valentine contained comic and insulting verses,
which were popular during the middle 1800's to early 1900's.
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