Where Did Valentine's Day Originated From?

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Where did Valentine's day originate  from? Why do we celebrate it? Why do we send cards and gifts to our loved ones? This post aims to unscramble the reason why people are especially affectionate on 14th February each year! 


Why do we celebrate Valentine's day on the 14th February?
The holiday itself is based on the Ancient Roman festival Lupercalia, however in circa 496, the pope decided to change it into a Christian festival; which we now know as (St.) Valentine's day. When the pope made this change to the culture, he also said that the holiday ought to be celebrated on 14th February. As a result it has been celebrated annually since the year it was founded! 

Why is it called 'Valentine's day'? 
St. Valentine
During the reign of Emperor Claudius of the Roman Empire, there was a shortage of young, fit and strong men for the army so the emperor made it illegal for couples to wed under a certain age. This led to a series of secret weddings that were conducted by the Christian- Valentine. When Valentine was discovered, the Roman's arrested him and attempted to execute him... multiple times! The emperor took a shine to this Christian, until he tried to convert the ruler to Christianity at this point, Valentine was beheaded and he did actually die. Therefore it is called Valentine's day after the martyr who died on February 14th. 

Where did all the gifts come from?
In the Medieval times, people exchanged handmade cards and gifts have all been found. Writers such as Chaucer and Shakespeare then made the festival extremely romantic in the literature. In 1913, Hallmark's began selling cards and from then on it has never been the same! 

Did you know that 85% of card buyers are apparently female! 

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