The story of the origin of Valentine’s Day is shrouded in many myths and legends. According to one version, this day is dedicated to the priest Valentine, who served in Rome in the third century AD, after another it was an attempt to “Christianize” the celebration of the pagan Lupercalia. Over the centuries, the tradition of Valentine’s Day cards has come to light, among which there can be messages full of love, as well as nasty “vinegar valentines”.
Emperor Claudius II at the end of the 3rd century ruled that his army was better served by unmarried men and forbade young men to marry. For the priest Valentine, this decision seemed unfair, so he secretly continued to marry young lovers. It was not long before his transgression came to light and Claudius sentenced Valentine to death. He was executed on the 14th of February, 270. In prison, Valentine accidentally met the daughter of the prison warden; the two fell in love and Valentine signed the letters to her with the words “from Your Valentine”. This is the short version of the first and most widely accepted legend of the origin of Valentine’s Day.
According to another version, the priest Valentine was executed for trying to help Christians escape from the harsh prisons of Rome. This legend also features the romantic story of the love of Valentine and the daughter of the prison warden. Although the origin of the so-called Valentine’s legends is shrouded in the fog of the past, he has always been portrayed as a sympathetic, heroic and romantic personality. Perhaps it was thanks to this reputation that Valentine was one of the most popular saints in medieval England and France.
To be fair, it should be said that in the registers of the Catholic Church there are several holy martyrs with such a name. Two of them – Bishop Valentine of Terni and Valentine of Rome – both lost their lives in the persecution of Christians in the 3rd century AD.
Who should we thank – Lupercal or Geoffrey Chaucer?
While some sources say that the date of Valentine’s Day is associated with the day of execution of the priest Valentine, others believe that the proclamation of this holiday in February is due to the desire of the Christian church to give a Christian spirit to the pagan Lupercal festival, or the feast of harvest and fertility, which began on the 15th of February. They were celebrated in honor of Faunus, the god of agriculture of Ancient Rome, and the founders of Rome, Rem and Romulus. At the beginning of the festival, members of the Roman order of priests, Luperci, gathered in a sacred cave, where, according to legend, the wolf had raised Romulus and Remus. The priests first sacrificed a goat, which was supposed to provide a better harvest, and a dog, which symbolized purgatory. Next, the skin of the sacrificed goat was cut into strips, soaked in blood and splashed on both women and cereal fields.
During the Lupercal Ages, all the virgin girls of Rome placed notes with their name in a large urn, but then the unmarried Roman men took these notes out, thus randomly forming a pair for the next year. The “Couples Lottery” as a non-Christian event was prohibited by law, but Pope Gelasius declared the 14th of February in 498 as Valentine’s Day, which in the Middle Ages was considered “bird mating day”, giving it an additional romantic mood. There is even a version that the world should say thank you to the British poet Geoffrey Chaucer and his poem “Meeting of birds” for Valentine’s Day. This poem says that it is on Valentine’s Day that every bird is looking for a mate.
Until 1969, St. Valentine’s Day was a holiday recognized by the church, but Pope Paul VI ordered this holiday of love to be erased from the calendar.
First Valentine’s Day messages
The oldest known congratulation is the romantic poem created for Valentine’s Day, which is still on display at the British Museum in London. Its author is Charles, Duke of Orléans, who dedicated it to his beloved wife in 1415. It is also believed that a few years later, King Henry V Lancaster, who ruled from 1413 to 1422, hired the writer John Lydgate to write a Valentine’s Day letter to Catherine de Valois.
Valentine’s Day has been widely celebrated in England since the 17th century, but in the 18th century, the tradition of sending small gifts and handwritten notes to loved ones on the 14th of February, which were later replaced by the first printed postcards, gained popularity. In the Victorian Era, and also in the 20th century, on Valentine’s Day, lovers exchanged exquisite cards decorated with lace, in which they expressed their love and devotion with poems.
In addition, good wishes or cute trinkets on Valentine’s Day are not just an advantage for lovers alone. They are also sent to friends, especially in the modern age of social networks – it is not for nothing that in Northern Europe it is also called “Friends’ Day”.
The cheeky “vinegar valentines”
However, in the Victorian Era, with Valentine’s Day greeting cards, or “valentines”, things were nowhere near as simple. According to the portal history.com, those who did not share a warm relationship, or wanted to get rid of an unwanted admirer sent them “vinegar valentines” – cards with prickly and mocking content. For example, one of them depicts a large lemon and the inscription: “This is the lemon that I served you. I love another, you have no chance”. On another a lady was depicted pouring the gentleman with water and reads “Here’s a cool reception.” By the way, these cards were not sent only to unwanted admirers. A wide range of people were at risk of receiving “vinegar valentines”, writes history.com. From sellers and landlords to domineering employers and a wide variety of all kinds of opponents. Cards could also be sent to liars, fraudsters, and alcoholics, but even specific professions were ridiculed in some cards. Very few of those cards have survived to this day. Many unsent cards are found in the collections of printing houses and stationery companies. In addition, most of them were sent anonymously and with delivery, meaning that the recipient had to pay one cent for receiving the parcel.
The amount of Valentine’s Day cards was really enormous. It is reported that in 1871 the London Post alone processed about 1.2 million cards. Perhaps this number could have been higher, but the post office sometimes seized “vinegar valentines”, believing that they were too vulgar to deliver. Passions was high. The popularity of such cards began to fall after numerous complaints, fights, lawsuits, suicide and even attempted murders.
For example, the Pall Mall Gazette in London in 1885 published the story of a husband who shot his wife after receiving a “vinegar valentine” sent by her… We can only sigh in relief that sending such cards is a thing of the past.
Chocolates, flowers and men’s day
Whatever the origin of the day of all lovers, it was deeply ingrained in the traditions of many peoples of the world. True, they are quite different. In Japan, it is also called men’s day, because it is they who receive gifts from their loved ones, and the celebration is quite loud, holding a contest for the loudest declaration of love. The braves climb onto the bridge and shout their message to the other half in full voice. The owner of the loudest throat receives a prize. In South Korea, on this day, women give chocolate to their loved ones, while men greet and gift their ladies a month later – on the 14th March. In Singapore, the scope of Valentine’s Day is truly impressive – huge laps of flowers, large and valuable gifts, a rich feast. Quietly, behind closed doors, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Saudi Arabia, where this Christian holiday is contrary to the morality of Islam. In Italy, couples exchange sweet gifts, and in France, couplets of love. In Finland, gifts in the shape of a heart are characteristic. In addition, gifts are given not only to significant others, but also to mothers. In England, on the other hand, various declarations of love are also given to pets.
Forbidden marriages, love letters and secret rituals – the history and traditions of Valentine’s Day
