St. Valentine and the Origins of Valentine’s Day
We do know a little bit about how Valentine’s Day came to be. However, how we went from the original feast of St. Valentine to the world’s second-largest card-giving holiday is a bit of a mystery. It’s possible that St. Valentine was two men who made sacrifices for love in different ways. Here’s what we know about the origins of this February celebration of love.
Who was St. Valentine?
The namesake of Valentine’s Day is one or two legendary Christian martyrs. Some say a Roman priest and physician who helped Christians escape Roman prisons and cured the blindness of a jailer’s daughter originated the holiday. Others say he was the bishop from Italy who defied the emperor, secretly marrying couples to spare men from fighting in the war. The same emperor executed both of these saints, which may explain why the legends are so muddled.
Origins of Valentine’s Day
Pope Gelasius declared February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day in the 5th century. The bishop named Valentine united men and women based on the contemporary understanding of marriage, a couple staying together for life, which may explain the romantic nature of Valentine’s Day. The physician and priest is said to have written a letter to the woman he cured of blindness signed “from your Valentine.” Written Valentines for Valentine’s Day started appearing after 1400, though it took a few hundred years before the tradition became commonplace.
Modern Valentine’s Day Celebrations
This holiday started being widely celebrated around the 17th century. By the middle of the 18th century, people of all social classes began to celebrate by exchanging small gifts and letters. As printing technology improved, cards replaced handwritten letters, allowing people to express affection at a time when showing emotion was frowned upon. Now, millions of Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, including the ones children pass out to one another in class.
Valentine’s Day is a tradition that has taken many forms over the millennia before becoming what it is today. Whatever the origins, it’s now a celebration of love in all forms. Our Polk Catholic schools foster an atmosphere of care and an environment of high expectations and effective discipline. We allow students to explore their faith at school and encourage them to do the same at home. To learn more about what makes us different, contact us online.