Why do people celebrate Valentine’s Day?
On the 14th of February every year, across the USA and all around the world people exchange flowers, candy, and gifts with their loved ones. It is celebrated in the name of St. Valentine. Let’s find out further in this article about him and from where does this tradition originate?
Why do they call it Valentine’s day?
Valentine’s Day gets its name from a famous saint named St. Valentine. There are many stories about him. He was a priest in Rome in the 3rd century AD. Emperor Claudius II had abolished marriages as he believed that men who married became terrible soldiers.
St. Valentine believed that this is unfair and so he broke all rules and started arranging marriages in secrecy. When the emperor came to know about this act, he announced death sentence to Valentine and imprisoned him. Here, he fell in love with the blind daughter of the Jailor. His faith and belief in love and God cured her blindness. Before dying, in his last moments on 14th February, he wrote a love letter and signed “From your Valentine.”
It is an ancient tradition that originated from a Pagan festival. The Romans celebrated a festival known as Lupercalia during the springtime, in the midst of February. In this celebration, the boys picked up names of girls from a box. They’d be partners during the festival or sometimes even get married. The pope Gelius then banned this festival and replaced it with the feast of St. Valentine’s Day as a celebration of love.
How is Valentine’s Day celebrated today?
The celebration of Valentine’s Day is around the world. It symbolizes love and romance. Couples send Valentines Day flowers to each other to express their feelings. There is an exchange of cards, presents, gift hampers and chocolates among couples. Some even make arrangements for romantic meals in hotels.
Young girls and boys give away Valentine’s Day Roses to show their love for each other. Common symbols of this festival are hearts, cupids, and red roses. However, some people give precious gifts like jewelry. There are special offers during this festive time.
Why is Valentine’s Day on 14th?
The Murky’s are the ones who initiated Valentine’s Day. The ancient Romans used to celebrate the feast of Lupercalia on the 15th February during the spring. From the time Christianity came into existence, this celebration moved to 14th of February. Earlier this day marked for celebrating the Christian martyr Valentine. But gradually this day came to represent romance and love for many couples. It was more than 200 years later that this day was declared as St. Valentine’s Day.
A poet named Chaucer during the medieval period linked St. Valentine with romance and love. This era marked the commencement of the tradition of committed love, a custom that expresses admiration and respect. This ritual spread widely in Europe and talks evolved about the high court of Love where female judges would decide on the issues of love every year on the 14th February.
