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How Did Saint Valentine's Day Develop

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[[File:Saint Valentine by Bassano.jpg|thumbnail|left|300px|Saint Valentine as depicted by Bassano.]]
Saint Valentine's Day is widely celebrated in the Western world as a day of love and romantic relationships. While this tradition does go far back and has connections to early Christian traditions, there are also more complex links with pre-Christian holidays that were likely changed or modified into Saint Valentine's Day traditions.
====Early History====The story of Saint Valentine does have a direct link to one or several early saints called Valentine (Figure 1). Many traditions have developed around this holiday, and most likely, multiple traditions were integrated as original records were lost. One of those traditions states that Valentines was a priest in Rome martyred for defying Claudius II, who had decreed his soldiers would not marry. He may have tried to marry soldiers in secret, and when the emperor found out, he had him executed. The heart may have been a symbol of love between the pair, which could have become a love symbol.  Other scholars, however, dispute that an emperor would have ever done such an edict. Another story states Valentine tried to help Christians escape, and he was imprisoned after he was caught. He eventually may have fallen in love with his jailor's daughter, and he sent the first "valentine" to her. He may have greeted her by saying, "Your Valentine," which uses valentine as part of the Valentine Day greeting may have originated. Another idea is that Valentine of Terni, a Christian bishop, was martyred in 273 during persecutions.  There is also a legend that he married a young pagan soldier with a young Christian woman. On hearing his wife was dying, the soldier converted to Christianity so that he could be bounded with her forever, and then he subsequently died shortly after his wife's death.<ref>For more on the early saints associated with Valentine's Day, see: Sabuda, R. (1999). <i>Saint Valentine</i>. Aladdin. </ref>  ====Valentine's Day was a Feast Day====We do know that Saint Valentine's Day was a feast day that likely celebrated a Christian saint and had developed when Pope Gelasius in the late 5th century CE declared that February 14th would be the feast day associated with the saint. However, the motives for this and stories associated with Saint Valentine suggest there may have been some earlier influences on the tradition. We know that many early Christian traditions and feast days were often created to be similar to pagan festivals, as it helped early converts in transitioning to the new religion. Saint Valentine's Day may not have been different.  The Lupercalia celebrations were a festival held on February 15th to honor fertility and dedicated to the Roman god Faunus. The celebration may have also focused on Rome's mythical founding by Romulus and Remus and how a she-wolf raised them. Goats would be sacrificed, and the blood from goats, along with the hide, would be dragged and slapped or sprinkled on crops and women. This would bring women and crops luck in fertility. One legend stated that single women and men were sometimes paired in this celebration, and these matches often ended in marriage.  However, some authors dispute its association with love between people. While it is possible that Pope Gelasius by the end of the 5th century CE saw Lupercalia as un-Christian and his declaration of Saint Valentine's Day on February 14th may have been intended to replace the pre-Christian holiday by combing some of the ideas of Lupercalia with a saint story, this is also uncertain.<ref>For more on how the Saint Valentine's traditions may have evolved between pre-Christian and later Christian traditions, see: Pogue, C. (1996). T<i>reasury of celebrations</i>. Kelowna, B.C.: Northstone, pg. 132</ref> ====Later Developments====[[File:Court of Love in Provence in the Fourteenth Century Manuscript of the National Library of Paris.png|thumbnail|left|Figure 2. Depiction of the Charter of the Court of Love that may have influenced Valentine's Day traditions. ]]In Saxon England, young men or boys would often give women their affections small gifts that included gloves. The fact that Saint Valentine's Day is near spring and foreshadowed could have made it more festive in association with love. In some regions, Saint Valentine's Day began to be associated with spring since it was often the time people began to rework in their fields in preparing for the planting season. However, these events did not associate the day directly with love. Although the Roman and other stories associated with Saint Valentine could have connected the day with love, other later traditions may have further added to this idea.  Geoffrey Chaucer, the famous early English author, wrote that the time was associated with birds beginning to pair themselves. In effect, it was a time of pairing and matches, and associations of this to humans may have begun around that time.<ref>For more on early Medieval traditions of Saint Valentine's Day, see: Diehl, D., & Donnelly, M. (2011). <i>Medieval celebrations: your guide to planning and hosting spectacular feasts, parties, weddings, and renaissance fairs</i> (2nd ed). Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books.</ref>  <dh-ad/> In 1400, Charles VI of France commissioned <i>Charter of the Court of Love </i>, which was a charter where on February 14th, contests would be held related to love songs and poetry readings about love (Figure 2). While this story's accuracy is not certain, what we do know is by the 15th-century, people did begin to wish their beloved Valentine's greetings. The developments around this time have done chivalrous acts between maidens and single men and Valentine's Day. The Duke of Orléans, who was captured in battle against the English, wished his wife a sweet valentine. In England, Valentine's Day also began to be associated with gifts of sweets for children. During the Medieval period, young people put the names of the person they wanted to marry on their sleeves, which has come to us in the expression of putting your heart on your sleeve.
The story of Saint Valentine does In the 15th century, cards may have a direct link begun to one or several early saints called Valentine. Many traditions have developed around this holiday, and most likely there were multiple traditions that were integrated as original records were lost. One be created with notes of those traditions state that Valentines was a priest in Rome martyred for defying Claudius IIaffection, who had decreed his soldiers would although they did not marrybecome popular until much later. He may have tried to marry soldiers in secret and when the emperor found out he had him executed. The heart may have been a symbol of By 1600, Shakespear's Hamlet has Ophelia discuss her love between the pair and this could have become a love symbol. Another story states Valentine tried to help Christians escape and he was imprisoned after he was caught. He eventually may have fallen for Hamlet in love association with his jailorValentine's daughter Day.<ref>For more on late Medieval traditions and he sent the first "valentine" to her. He may have greeted her by saying "Your Valentine" and this is where using valentine as part growing popularity of the Valentine 's Day greeting may have originatedthen, see: Skarmeas, N. J., & Venturi-Pickett, S. (1999). Another idea is that Valentine <i>The Story of Terni was Christian bishop who was martyred in 273 during persecutionsValentine’s Day</i>. There is a legend that he married a young pagan soldier with a young Christian womanNashville, Tenn. On hearing his wife was dying, he converted to Christianity so that he could be bounded with her forever and then he subsequently died: Candy Cane Press. </ref>
We do know that Saint By the 17th century, Valentine's Day was a feast day that likely celebrated a Christian saint became popular among friends and had developed when Pope Gelasius in the late 5th century CE declared the February 14th as the feast daylovers of different classes. HoweverAt this point, the motives for this people began to exchange tokens of affection and stories associated notes with Saint Valentine suggest there may have been some each other motives for thisexpressing their feelings. What we do know is that many early Christian traditions and feast days were often created Charles II of Sweden in the 18th century began to be similar to pagan festivalsassociate affection with flowers, as and it helped early converts in transitioning to the new religion. Saint was possibly at this time that flowers were used with Valentine's Day . The single rose at this time may have not been different. The Lupercalia celebrations were a festival held on February 15th in honor of fertility and dedicated come to the Roman god Faunussymbolize romantic love. The celebration may have also focused <ref>For more on the mythical founding Charles II of Rome by Romulus and Remus and how they were raised by a she-wolf. Goats would be sacrificed and the blood from goatsSweden, along with the hidesee: Moore, would be dragged and slapped or sprinkled on crops and womenK. (2011). This would bring women and crops luck in fertility<i>Roses Are Red . One legend stated that in this celebration, single women and men were sometimes paired and these matches often ended in marriage. However, some authors dispute its association with love between people. While it is possible that Pope Gelasius by the end of the 5th century CE saw Lupercalia as un-Christian and his declaration of Saint Valentine's Day on February 14th may have been intended to replace the pre-Christian holiday by combing some of the ideas of Lupercalia with : a saint storyBook for Lovers</i>. London, this is also uncertainUK: Michael O’Mara.</ref>
==Later Developments==Modern Celebrations====Modern Valentine's Day has been strongly influenced by American traditions that first derived from the mid-19th century. Esther A. Howland, in the 1840s, began selling cards and gifts that contained real lace, ribbons, and colorful pictures. This time, women began to be more strongly associated with Valentine's Day than men, where marketing began to focus more on them. Today, they constitute about 85% of Valentine's Day sales.
In Saxon EnglandAround 1900, young men or boys Valentine cards were popularly produced throughout Europe and began to replace letters and notes that lovers would exchange. Valentine cards often give contained secret compartments that the women of their affections small affection would have to find, which may have contained additional messages or gifts that included glovesof affection. The fact that Saint British chocolate company of Cadbury began to create decorated boxes of chocolates for Valentine's Day is near spring and foreshadowed it could have made it more festive. In some regions, Saint Valentine began to be associated with spring since it was often the time people began to rework in their fields in preparing for the planting season. However1860s, these events did not associate the day and that has since made chocolates another association with loveValentine's Day. Although the Roman and other stories associated with Saint <ref>For more on how modern Valentine could have connected the 's day with love, other later traditions may have further added to this idea. Geoffrey Chaucerstarted, the famous early English authorsee: Lee, wrote that the time was associated with birds beginning to pair themselvesR. W. (1984). History of valentines. In effectWellesley Hills, it was a time of pairing and matchesMass.: Lee Publications. </ref>
In 1400, Charles VI of France commissioned <i>Charter of the Court of Love </i>modern world, which was a charter where on February 14th contests would be held related to love songs China and poetry readings about love. While the story of this are not certain, what we do know is by South Korea have taken the 15th century people did begin to wish their beloved valentine greetings. The Duke mantel of Orléans, who was captured in battle against spending the English, wished his wife a sweet valentine. In England, most on Valentine's Day also began to be associated with gifts of sweets for children. In other countries outside of the 15th centuryWest, cards may many of them had feasts or festivals associated with love. These customs have begun to be created often been replaced or sometimes integrated with notes of affection, although they did not become popular until much later. By 1600, Shakespear's Hamlet has Ophelia discuss her love for Hamlet on Western Valentine's Daytraditions, such as sending chocolates and flowers to a beloved.
By the 17th centuriesFor instance, in Wales, ValentineSt. Dwynwen's Day was the day began to be popular among friends and celebrate lovers among different classes. At this pointThis falls on January 25th. This tradition's aspects are sometimes combined with February 14th in Wales, or people began to exchange tokens of affection and notes celebrate the Welsh holiday with each other expressing their feelingsWestern-style Valentine's Day celebrations. Charles II of Sweden in the 18th century began to associate affection with flowers and it was possibly at this time that flowers were used with <ref>For more on how Valentine's Dayis celebrated worldwide today, see: Williams, V. (2017). <i>Celebrating life customs worldwide: from baby showers to funerals</i>. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO.</ref>
==Modern Celebrations==Summary====Valentine's Day is still an uncertain holiday in terms of its origins. Many stories exist around it, and there might be some truth in each of the stories. The influence of pre-Christian traditions is also possible and likely given many ancient feasts that revolved around fertility and love. The modern date may have been a Christian way to syncretize these ideas with the Christian faith.
Modern Valentine's Day has been strongly influenced by American traditions that first derived from Whatever the mid-19th century. Esther A. Howland in the 1840s began selling cards and gifts that contained real lacecase might be, ribbons later developments such as flowers associated with love and colorful pictures. It was also this time that women began chocolates present to be a beloved developed more strongly associated with Valentine's Day relative to menclearly in the modern era. By the 19th century, where marketing began to focus more on them and today they constitute about 85% the commercialization of Valentine's Day saleshad already become evident in the United States with the development of cards and decorative products.
==Summary==References====<references/>
==References==[[Category:Wikis]] [[Category:Holiday History]]

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