What is the real meaning of Valentine's Day?
Valentine's Day is a celebration of love that is observed every year on February 14th. But have you ever wondered how this holiday came to be? To learn about its origins and how it has evolved over time, we spoke with Allen Carden, a professor of history at Fresno Pacific University in California.
What is Valentine's Day really supposed to be about?
As cheesy as it can be, Valentine's Day is supposed to be a time of love. Couples worldwide show kindness and love to their partners through gifts, experiences, and special treatment. It can be a really joyful and exciting time for people in a new or committed relationship.
Who made Valentine's Day a holiday?
Valentine’s Day Trivia
- King Henry VIII declared Valentine’s Day an official holiday in 1537.
- The oldest handwritten Valentine was made in the 1400s and is held in the British Museum.
- About 3 percent of pet owners buy Valentine’s gifts for their furry friends.
Why do we celebrate Valentine's Day?
Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day
- It’s a remnant of very old traditions. Most ancient cultures, including the now-obscure pagan ones, the time around spring was celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm and it was considered ...
- To celebrate romantic love. In the modern times, people use Valentine’s Day to celebrate romantic love. ...
- Pop culture tells us we need to celebrate it. ...
What is Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day is a holiday when lovers express their affection with greetings and gifts. It is also called St. Valentine’s Day. The holiday has e...
When is Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day is celebrated annually on February 14.
Who is Valentine’s Day named for?
Although there were several Christian martyrs named Valentine, Valentine’s Day may have taken its name from a priest who was martyred about 270 CE...
Where is Valentine’s Day celebrated?
Valentine’s Day is popular in the United States as well as in Britain, Canada, and Australia, and it is also celebrated in other countries, includi...
How is Valentine’s Day celebrated?
Valentine’s Day is commonly celebrated by exchanging handmade or store-bought “Valentines” (greeting cards) or other tokens of affection like choco...
What Is Valentine's Day About?
Needless to say, all of us know the answer to the question what is Valentine's day date?. It's February 14th. Almost all nations around the world have adopted the tradition of this celebration of love. Valentine's Day is a special occasion to express affection and admiration to our loved ones.
Valentine's Day Gifting
is romantic day is coming around the corner. If you want a wonderful day to remember, start planning now.
That's A Wrap!
What is Valentine's Day? Has this article satisfied your curiosity? Gossby hopes you can find all the information you came looking for, perhaps more!
What is Valentine's Day called?
In Chinese, Valentine's Day is called lovers' festival ( simplified Chinese: 情人节; traditional Chinese: 情人節; Mandarin: Qīng Rén Jié; Hokkien: Chêng Lîn Chiat; Cantonese: Chìhng Yàhn Jit; Shanghainese Xin Yin Jiq ). The "Chinese Valentine's Day" is the Qixi Festival (meaning "The Night of Sevens" ( Chinese: 七夕; pinyin: Qi Xi )), celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. According to the legend, the Cowherd star and the Weaver Maid star are normally separated by the Milky Way (silvery river) but are allowed to meet by crossing it on the 7th day of the 7th month of the Chinese calendar.
When is Valentine's Day?
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, through later folk traditions, has become a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration ...
How many Valentine's cards were sent in 1840?
A reduction in postal rates following Sir Rowland Hill 's postal reforms with the 1840 invention of the postage stamp ( Penny Black) saw the number of Valentines posted increase, with 400,000 sent just one year after its invention, and ushered in the less personal but easier practice of mailing Valentines. That made it possible for the first time to exchange cards anonymously, which is taken as the reason for the sudden appearance of racy verse in an era otherwise prudishly Victorian. Production increased, "Cupid's Manufactory" as Charles Dickens termed it, with over 3,000 women employed in manufacturing. The Laura Seddon Greeting Card Collection at Manchester Metropolitan University gathers 450 Valentine's Day cards dating from early nineteenth century Britain, printed by the major publishers of the day. The collection appears in Seddon's book Victorian Valentines (1996).
How much do Singaporeans spend on Valentine's Day?
According to findings, Singaporeans are among the biggest spenders on Valentine's Day, with 60% of Singaporeans indicating that they would spend between $100 and $500 during the season leading up to the holiday.
Why is Valentine's Day banned in Saudi Arabia?
In Saudi Arabia, in 2002 and 2008, religious police banned the sale of all Valentine's Day items, telling shop workers to remove any red items, because the day is considered a Christian holiday. This ban has created a black market for roses and wrapping paper. In 2012, the religious police arrested more than 140 Muslims for celebrating the holiday, and confiscated all red roses from flower shops. Muslims are not allowed to celebrate the holiday, and non-Muslims can celebrate only behind closed doors.
What is the Latin American holiday of Valentine's Day?
Latin America. In most Latin American countries, for example, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, Saint Valentine's Day is known as Día de los Enamorados ('Day of Lovers') or as Día del Amor y la Amistad ('Day of Love and Friendship'). It is also common to see people perform "acts of appreciation" for their friends.
Why is Valentine's Day celebrated in Brazil?
"Lovers' Day", or "Boyfriends'/Girlfriends' Day") is celebrated on June 12, probably because that is the day before Saint Anthony 's day, known there as the 'marriage saint', when traditionally many single women perform popular rituals, called simpatias, in order to find a good husband or boyfriend. Couples exchange gifts, chocolates, cards, and flower bouquets. The February 14 Valentine's Day is not celebrated at all because it usually falls too little before or too little after the Brazilian Carnival – that can fall anywhere from early February to early March and lasts almost a week. Because of the absence of Valentine's Day and due to the celebrations of the Carnivals, Brazil was recommended by U.S. News & World Report as a tourist destination during February for Western singles who want to get away from the holiday.
Why is Valentine's Day celebrated in February?
While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial —which probably occurred around A.D. 270—others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St.
When did Valentine's Day start?
Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” made elaborate ...
What is the appeal of Valentine?
Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and—most importantly—romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.
How many Valentine's cards are sent each year?
Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year (more cards are sent at Christmas ). READ MORE: Victorian-Era Valentines Could Be Mean and Hostile.
When was the first Valentine's Day written?
Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.
When is Cupid's Day?
Who Is Cupid? Typical Valentine’s Day Greetings. Valentine’s Day occurs every February 14. Across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine.
Is Valentine's Day a Roman holiday?
The history of Valentine’s Day—and the story of its patron saint—is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated ...
What are the Valentine’s Day symbols?
There are six main Valentine’s Day symbols: hearts, love birds, roses, Cupid, love knots, and Valentine’s Day cards (love notes).
Why is the heart a symbol of Valentine’s Day?
The most popular Valentine’s Day symbol is the heart. During this time of year, you can find everything from heart shaped cookies, to heart themed decor. When we think of hearts, in relation to Valentine’s Day, it’s impossible not to think of love.
Why are roses given on Valentine’s Day?
Flowers have a long history of being used as symbols, so it’s no surprise they are one of the most well known Valentine’s Day symbols.
What do doves symbolize?
While lovebirds are a symbol of Valentine’s Day, the bird you’re more likely to see depicted around this time of year is the dove.
Why is Valentine's Day celebrated?
The feast was first established by Pope Gelasius I to honor one or two saints named Valentinus for being martyred on February 14. February 14 is when we celebrate Valentine’s Day. Although some enjoy it as the celebration of love, others reject it as a materialistic ...
What is the origin of Valentine's Day?
While it is clear that the origin of Valentine’s Day is connected to Christianity, there are those who claim paganism is the root. Those telling this story say Christianity took the Roman festival called Lupercalia and “Christianized” it. Lupercalia was a fertility festival that honored the Roman gods on February 15.
What Does This Mean?
Whatever Valentine’s Day is to you, it is for you to decide. Personally, I think it’s a great opportunity to celebrate love, whether it be for family, friends, lovers, or neighbors because Jesus said that people would know us by our love.
What is the connection between Valentine's Day and Saint Valentine's Day?
Christian Connections. Valentine’s Day began as Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine. The feast was first established by Pope Gelasius I to honor one or two saints named Valentinus for being martyred on February 14. Those familiar with this connection believe there to be a single man, but there were actually three saints bearing ...
How did Valentine's Day become romantic?
How Valentine’s Day became connected with romantic love is said to be due to a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer. In 1375, he wrote “Parliament of Foules” connecting romantic love to the beginning of mating season for birds (mid-February). He wrote, “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day/Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.”.
How old is the tradition of passing out Valentine's cards?
Passing out Valentine's is a 600-year-old tradition. Esther Howland is the first manufacturer of Valentine's. Today, millions of greeting cards are purchased every year. People consider pink and red the colors of love. Candy hearts were originally medical lozenges.
When is Valentine's Day 2020?
2020 3 Feb. February 14 is when we celebrate Valentine’s Day. Although some enjoy it as the celebration of love, others reject it as a materialistic commercialized holiday. Valentine’s Day started with a connection to Christianity but there is a lot of information to wade through to find the truth. The details within the stories connecting it ...
Overview
Connection with romantic love
The "Feast" (Latin: "in natali", lit.: on the birthday) of Saint Valentine originated in Christendom and has been marked by the Western Church of Christendom in honour of one of the Christian martyrs named Valentine, as recorded in the 8th century Gelasian Sacramentary. In Ancient Rome, Lupercalia was observed February 13–15 on behalf of Pan & Juno, pagan gods of love, marriage & fertility. It was a rite connected to purification and health, and had only slight connection to fertili…
Saint Valentine
Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine. The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae). Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who was martyred in 269 and was added to the calendar of saints by Pope Gelasius I in 496 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. The relics of Saint Valentine were kept in the Church and Catacombs of San Valentino in Rome, w…
Folk traditions
While the European folk traditions connected with Saint Valentine and St. Valentine's Day have become marginalized by modern customs connecting the day with romantic love, there are still some connections with the advent of spring.
While the custom of sending cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts originated in the UK, Valentine's Day still remains connected with various regional customs in England. In Norfolk, a c…
Celebration and status worldwide
Valentine's Day customs – sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"), offering confectionery and presenting flowers – developed in early modern England and spread throughout the English-speaking world in the 19th century. In the later 20th and early 21st centuries, these customs spread to other countries, like those of Halloween, or than aspects of Christmas, (such as Santa Claus).
Restrictions on Valentine's day in some countries
The celebration of Valentine's Day has been banned in Indonesia, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia due to beliefs the holiday conflicts with Islamic culture.
Since 2009, certain practices pertaining to Valentine's Day (such as giving flowers, cards, or other gifts suggestive of Valentine's Day) are banned in Iran. Iran's Law Enforcement Force prosecutes distributors of goods with symbols associated with Valentine's Day. In 2021, the Prosecutor's Of…
Valentine's Day in popular culture
Many films have been produced depicting aspects of Valentine's Day, including A Charlie Brown Valentine (2002).
See also
• World Kiss Day
• Dia dos Namorados
• Sailor's valentine
• Saint Valentine's Day Massacre
• Singles Awareness Day