A cynic might view Valentine’s Day with the same skeptical eye they do Mother’s Day — a holiday ostensibly created by florists to boost sales — only championed by the additional cabal of chocolatiers and jewelers. However, Valentine’s Day has a more interesting and much older history.
Saint Valentine, or Valentinus, is the name of one of several early Christian martyrs, officially recognized by Pope Gelasius I, who established the feast of St. Valentine in 496 AD. Little is known about these martyrs, even by Gelasius, who listed them among others ” … whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose acts are known only to God.” Whether the sainted Valentius was a priest in Rome, a bishop from Terni, or a lesser known figure in Africa is lost to time and of little historical significance.
The origins of St. Valentine’s Day as a celebration of romantic love has its roots in Middle Ages, first noted in 1382 in Chaucer’s Parliament of Foules:
For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day
When every foul cometh there to choose his mate.
Chaucer wrote the poem to commemorate the first anniversary of the engagement of young King Richard II to Anne of Bohemia (they were married eight months later, both at the tender age of 15).
The association between St. Valentine’s Day and courtship flourished in the 14th century, with many references to it in French and English literature. A High Court of Love was established in Paris on St. Valentine’s Day in 1400, dealing with love contracts, betrayals, and other disputes between lovers. It was instituted as a women’s court, and the judges were selected by a panel of women on the basis of the recitation or written presentation of poetry.
The association with romantic love, along with a medieval revival of interest in classic literature, led to a paganization of the martyr’s feast, so that the god Cupid — the Roman version of the Greek Eros — entered the celebration. Cupid is typically depicted with wings, a bow, and a quiver of arrows. His golden arrows, when shot into the heart of a sleeping victim, would inspire the person to fall in love with the first person they saw upon awakening. His leaden arrows would inspire wanton lust. His mother, Venus, would send him on errands to satisfy her whims.
Over the next several centuries, St. Valentine’s Day became an occasion for writing love letters and sending lovers’ tokens. During the Industrial Revolution, handwritten letters gave way to mass produced greeting cards. Today, it is estimated that over 190 million greeting cards are exchanged February 14. Just about every online game world now celebrates the holiday with special seasonal events.
However you celebrate today, I wish you love and happiness.
