Educating MA Residents On The Origin Of A Day Filled With Hearts

Today is February 14th, better known as St. Valentine’s Day when couples express their affection to each other with greetings and gifts. We would like to take the time and give Bay State residents and everyone else chiming in on this article a historic lesson on how this "romantic" celebration began way back when.

Given their similarities, it has been suggested the holiday has origins from the Roman festival of Lupercalia which is held in mid-February. The festival celebrates the coming of spring, including fertility rites and the pairing off of women with men by lottery. In one word: WOW! By the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius the First banned the celebration of Lupercalia and is sometimes credited with replacing this milestone with St. Valentine’s Day. It wasn't until the 14th century that Valentine’s Day officially was designated as a day of romance.

Let's not forget the candy that also goes into this all-important mix as your sweet tooth also needs to be taken care of in more ways than one!

Although there were several Christian martyrs named Valentine, the day may define  another common legend stating the actual St. Valentine defied the emperor’s orders by secretly marrying couples to spare future husbands from war. It is for this reason that his feast day is associated with love.

Formal messages, or valentines, first appeared in the 1500s, and by the late 1700s commercially printed cards were being used. The first commercial Valentines Day cards in the United States were printed back in the mid-1800s. Valentines commonly depict Cupid, the Roman God of Love, accompanied with hearts. It was also reported the avian mating season begins in mid-February, birds also became a symbol of the day. Traditional gifts include candy and flowers, particularly red roses.

February 14th is not only popular in the United States as romance also permeates in Great Britain, Canada and Australia, France, Mexico, Argentina and South Korea. In the Philippines it is designated as the most common day for wedding anniversaries. The country has a tradition to hold mass weddings for hundreds of couples. Valentine's Day has expanded to expressions of affection among relatives and friends plus  schoolchildren also exchange cards with one another on this day.