The month of February is celebrated all over the world as the month of romance, love and cupid. But what is the history of the valentines day and how did it all start ?

 

Who Was St. Valentine?

Well there are three different legends and myths and history associated with St. Valentine.

First One – This is all about a priest by the name of Valentine who was working in the third century. Emperor Claudius II made sure that his future soldiers would be better if the young men of the empire did not marry. But it seems that Valentine defied him and was marrying the men against the Emperor’s wishes. He was ordered to be executed and be put to death.

The other legend says that while in prison he fell in love with the jailor’s daughter and he sent her a letter and signed below it as –“from your valentine” and that definitely worked as a charm and it is still used as famous letter signing thing.

Other legends suggest that it began because the Lupercalia festival and in fact February 14th was considered as the beginning of the birds mating season. Lupercalia festival was a festival of fertility as females would generally enjoy the touch of the goats hide soaked in blood in the belief that it would make them more fertile.

Seventeenth and Eighteenth century was the time when in England people started exchanging handwritten affectionate letter to each other.

In America it was Esther A. Howland who started the valentines day cards.

Valentines Day Trivia

One billion valentines day cards are sent each year and it is said that Valentines day the number cards bought by women are much much more than men and it is estimated that the ratio is 85 percent to 15 percent.

Valentines day is also mentioned by William Shakespeare in the Hamlet

To-morrow is Saint Valentine’s day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn’d his clothes,
And dupp’d the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.
(William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5)

Needless to say that St. Valentine is what Valentines day history is all about and this is celebrated throughout the world with same zeal and vigor on February 14th.

Filed under: History of valentine's day • St.Valentine • Valentines Day History

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