Origin of Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day (Valentine's Day) is celebrated annually on February 14th, and its history and traditions have a variety of sources and interpretations. The most common interpretation relates to St. Valentine, a martyr who was executed during the Roman Empire in the 3rd century A.D. for violating Emperor Claudius II's decree forbidding soldiers to marry.

1. The story of St. Valentine:

St. Valentine was a Christian priest or bishop in Rome who strongly believed in the sanctity of love and marriage. At the time, Claudius II, the emperor of the Roman Empire, believed that unmarried men were more likely to be recruited than married men, so he forbade soldiers to marry. St. Valentine opposed this decree and secretly performed marriages for young couples. Eventually, St. Valentine was arrested and sentenced to death. Legend has it that during his imprisonment, he developed a deep friendship with his jailer's daughter, and on his deathbed wrote her a letter signed “Yours, Valentine”, which has become a Valentine's Day card tradition.

2. The connection between springtime festivals and romance:

Valentine's Day coincides with the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a springtime celebration designed to ward off evil, protect livestock and pray for a good harvest. The festival also included rituals related to love and marriage. In the 4th century, Christianity attempted to Christianize the feast, which gradually evolved into St. Valentine's Day.

3. Romantic symbols of the Middle Ages:

By the Middle Ages, especially in England and France, February 14th became a day for couples to express their love. People in this period believed that birds would choose their mates on this day, so Valentine's Day also became a symbol of love and marriage.

4. Modern Valentine's Day:

Today, Valentine's Day has become a global holiday where couples exchange gifts of chocolates, flowers, and greeting cards to express their love. Although there are various interpretations of the origin, in any case, February 14 has become an important day for people to celebrate love and romance.

The origins of this holiday are filled with stories of romance and sacrifice, and reflect the pursuit and cherishing of love by human beings.