Did you know… Saint Valentine’s Day is more than flowers and love. When February 14th arrives, it is immediately associated with Valentine’s Day. We all have celebrated this day with our couple or with our friends, and It’s internationally recognized. But few know its origin. Here you have some facts you did not know about Valentine’s Day.
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St. Valentine was more than “just a person”
It is well-known that this day was named after its patron saint, St. Valentine, but stills being confusing about which St. Valentine this holiday honors. According to History.com, there is more than one person named Valentine that could be the inspiration for the holiday. One of them was a priest in third century Rome. The story tells that this Valentine defied Emperor Claudius II’s ban on marriage, illegally marrying couples in the name of love until he was caught and sentenced to death.
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Valentine’s Day Became an Official Holiday Associated with Love
At the end of the 5th century, Roman Pope Gelasius officially declared February 14th, as “St. Valentine’s Day.”
Nevertheless, the story didn’t end there. It wasn’t until Middle Ages that Valentine’s Day was associated with love and romance. This tradition started in France and England; product of a common belief that birds start their mating season on February 14th. -
Who Is Cupid?
Cupid is shown as a naked cherub launching arrows of love at unsuspecting lovers. But this character’s origin is from the Greek mythology, as Eros, the Greek God of Love.
According to the Greek elder poets, Eros was a very attractive immortal ruled by emotions of Gods and Men. He used golden arrows to make people fall in love, and leaden arrows to induce aversion. During Hellenistic period, Eros began to be portrayed as the mischievous, adorable, and chubby child on the Valentine’s Day cards.
Source: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/valentines-day-ideas/a26863/valentines-day-facts/
Source: https://www.history.com/news/6-surprising-facts-about-st-valentine
