The History Of Valentine’s Day

The+History+Of+Valentines+Day

Ava Meikle, Opinions

The month of February, considered by many to be a month of love due to Valentine’s Day, has come to a close. You may know the general gist of Valentine’s Day, but do you know why it started? Where did the name come from? What if I told you Valentine’s Day was not always the holiday of love?

According to an article from the New York Times, Valentine’s Day was created on February 14 by Roman Emperor Claudius II in the 3rd century A.C.E., about 2,614 years ago. According to the New York Times article, it’s possible the execution of two men took place on February 14. Both of these men were named Valentine. It’s believed that the Catholic Church may have established Valentine’s Day to honor the two men that died, who they considered to be martyrs.

February is known as the month of love, and it’s a time for people to celebrate their love for each other. It’s when you get red, pink, and white decorations themed with hearts and love. People buy flowers and chocolates to give to those they love to show their love for them. Flowers and chocolate are the most common things people give each other on Valentine’s Day, but you can always get creative! Did you know Shakespeare made sending a love letter to someone in a poem a popular thing to do on Valentine’s Day? There a lots of things you can do to express your love for someone this Valentine’s season.

What do you do for Valentine’s Day? Do you give away flowers and chocolate, or write a poem and send it to a loved one like Shakespeare? Or do you find other creative ways to show the people you care about how much you love them?

SOURCES

History.com Editors. (2009). Valentine’s Day 2023: Origins, background & traditions – history. HISTORY.

https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2 

Murtaugh, T., & Lowin, R. (2023, February 3). What’s the origin of Valentine’s day? Country Living. https://www.countryliving.com/life/a46353/history-of-valentines-day/