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Valentine’s Day is best known as a celebration of love in all its forms. Pink hearts, red roses, and cute greeting cards adorn every surface you see. What many people don’t realize is that the modern Valentine’s Day celebration arose from a religious holiday.
St. Valentine’s Day was originally celebrated as a religious feast day in honour of early Christian Martyrs. Three Martyrs named Valentine were honoured: a priest in Rome, the persecuted bishop of Interamna (a town in central Italy), and a Saint martyred in Africa. This Saint’s Day was celebrated throughout Christendom, although it was removed from the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints in 1969.
The origin of Valentine’s Day as a holiday for lovers began with Geoffrey Chaucer in his 1382 poem “Parlement of Foules.” Chaucer wrote, “For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate,” and the modern romantic holiday was born.
Valentine’s Day as we know it came about in the early 19th century. In Victorian England, printers began manufacturing small numbers of cards with romantic verses, lace, ribbons, and other frills. Anonymous Valentine’s Day cards were a popular way for young lovers to exchange romantic sentiments in an otherwise prudish time. As the 19th century progressed, printers began mass manufacturing Valentine’s Day cards. An estimated one billion cards are purchased around the world every year! With the rise of the Internet, Valentine’s Day e-cards have become a more popular mode of communication.
Other items associated with Valentine’s Day include chocolates and flowers. The tradition of giving chocolates has been around for decades, and Richard Cadbury created the first box of Valentine’s Day chocolates nearly 150 years ago. Loved ones also exchange flowers, with red roses being associated with Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.
Although many people dismiss Valentine’s Day as a commercialized “Hallmark holiday,” it is beloved to couples and romantics across Canada and other countries. So no matter what your celebratory plans, February 14th can be a wonderful day to celebrate the loved ones in your life.
Happy Valentine’s Day!