Homework Help: Social Studies: World History: History of Valentines Day

Valentines Day is a celebration of love. It is the day, when people show each other their affection, and show each other how much they mean to each other.

But there is some history involved. Sources say that there are several roots. It is not 100% known which is the right one. There are three different possibilities which are quite similar to each other - and even parallels can be found between them.

We like to explain the one which is closest to our today's celebration. It's roots go back to the 5th century and the Roman Empire.

Romans celebrated the Luperican festival at those times on February 15th. It was a feast to honor the goddess Juno, the goddess of marriage. And it was also a celebration of fertility and to court and meet a potential lover or mate.

In the year of 496 pope Gelasius prohibited this pagan event, and replaced it with a similar but more church compliant festival. To complete the meaning of it, he chose the martyred saint Valentine to be the patron of this newly established celebration.

Saint Valentine got executed by the Roman Emperor Claudius. His crime was to help, and to marry young couples against the Emperors wish. It is reported Valentine fell in love with his jailer's daughter before he got executed. She visited him daily, and it was him - so it says - who sent the very first Valentines greeting. He signed his final note with the words: "From your Valentine" If this was true, then this phrase lasts throughout all the centuries until even today.

Although, the much more passionate and sexual dominated pagan ritual died, it has been replaced with what we call Valentine's Day now.

Homework Help: Social Studies: World History

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