- While the true story of the day isn’t really known, it likely started from an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia
- Similar holidays include International Quirkyalone Day and Galentine’s Day, which promote self-love and female friendships
How much do you know about the origin of Valentine’s Day? Photo: ShutterstockLove is in the air! February 14th is Valentine’s Day, one of the most famous – and, let’s face it, commercialised – festivals all about love. While it is often advertised as a day for couples to celebrate romance and love and sit around all kissy-faced, the origin of this festival of candy and Cupid is actually pretty grim and gory.
How did Valentine’s Day begin?
The true story of Valentine’s Day is a bit murky, but it most likely originated from the Roman festival of Lupercalia, according to the online encyclopaedia Britannica.
Traditionally, the festival would kick off with the sacrifice of an unlucky goat and dog. A group of priests called the Luperci would then cut off pieces of skin from the two animals and strike them against women nearby. Young women would even line up for men to whip them with the skins, believing it would increase their fertility.
How to spread the love on Valentine’s Day
The festival included a matchmaking lottery in which young men drew the names of women from a jar, and the drawn pairs would be coupled for the duration of the festival, or longer if the match was right. This festival was eventually banned by Pope Gelasius I around the end of the 5th century.
While there were a few Christian martyrs – people killed for their religious beliefs – named Valentine, the day may have taken its name from a priest killed by Emperor Claudius II Gothicus around 270CE, who had once signed a letter “from, your Valentine”. Another common myth is that the day was named after St Valentine, who defied orders from the emperor to marry couples in secret, which would keep the men from being sent to war.
How we celebrate today
Today, Valentine’s Day involves a lot less goat skin. While traditions vary across the globe, chocolate, flowers, cheesy greeting cards, and romantic gestures usually make their way into the celebrations. Valentine’s Day has been advertised as a fateful day when enamoured couples go above and beyond to proclaim their love for their significant others – often with material possessions.
While many lovebirds fret over the finer details of their Valentine’s Day presents, some question whether the day’s commercialisation has overshadowed its message of love. At the very least, it is a good excuse to spend quality time with someone you love and treasure – whether a significant other, family member, close friend or pet.
Big bucks on Valentine’s Day
Regardless of how individual couples celebrate, one thing is certain: Valentine’s Day is a billion-dollar business. In Hong Kong, as well as the rest of the world, people flock to florists, restaurants and retailers, hoping to shower their loved ones with chocolate, flowers, hotel retreats and other gifts.
Meanwhile, lovebirds in the US spent around HK$156,997,000,000 on the day in 2019, sending more than 145 million cards and buying lots of jewelry – February 14th is one of the most popular days to get engaged.
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A few fun facts about Valentine’s
Now that you’ve learned about the origins of the holiday, here are a few other facts you might not have known:
– Some countries have banned Valentine’s Day for religious reasons. For example, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia consider Valentine’s Day to go against their culture and forbid its celebration.
– The first Valentine’s gift recorded in history was a poem written by Charles, the Duke of Orléans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415.
– Some of the most popular films of the 2000s take place on Valentine’s Day, including 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and 2010’s Valentine’s Day.
– Have you heard of International Quirkyalone Day? It’s a holiday for single people held on the same day as Valentine’s. It’s not anti-Valentines’ per say, but a moment to celebrate self-love and platonic relationships.
– Similarly, Galentine’s Day has risen in popularity since it was introduced on the TV show Parks and Recreation. Celebrated on February 13th, it’s a chance for women to celebrate their female friendships.