Did you know that Valentine's Day wasn't always about Roses and Candy?

Valentine's Day is right around, so I decided to write a blog about the  history of Valentine's Day, the most romantic day of the year!

Valentine's Day comes around once a year and is usually thought as a 'Hallmark Holiday', but there's really a lot more to Valentines Day. It's hasn't always been about Roses and candy!

Historians believe that Valentine's Day originated from a pagan fertility festival called Lupercalia.  According to History.com, Roman priests would sacrifice animals and use the blood soaked hides to slap women on the streets, as a fertility blessing. (Gross, glad we don't do that today.)

In the 1300, Roman Pope Gelasius officially declared February 14 as "St Valentines Day."  No more animal sacrifices!  It's believed that there might have been more than one St Valentine.  The most common Saint Valentine is believed to be the Saint Valentine who defied Emperor Claudius II.  Claudius had banned marriages because he believed it was a distraction to his young soldiers.  Saint Valentine felt differently and began performing illegal marriages until he was caught.  He was sentenced to death, where young couple would visit him, bringing cards and flowers, until his death, allegedly died on February 14.

A poem written in 1415 is believed to be the oldest record of a Valentine being sent.  A French medieval duke, Charles, Duke of Orleans, wrote to his second wife. According to History.com, Charles wrote this sweet note while being imprisoned in the Tower of London, he was 21 years old.

The sweet conversation hearts that we all love,  were invented by a Boston pharmacist named Oliver Chase.  Oliver invented a machine designed to simplify the way medical lozenges could be made.  It wasn't long before he shifted his attention from medicine to candy.   However, in 1866, Chases brother Daniel Chase, came up with the idea to put tender messages  on the candy and in 1901 the candy got its heart shape.

 

The tradition of giving boxes of chocolates was start in the 19th century by Richard Cadbury, an heir of a British chocolate manufacturing family.  New technology  that had recently started at the company allowed them to develop more varieties of chocolate, Cadbury  jumped on this opportunity to sell the chocolates on Valentines Day.

Valentine's Day is celebrated differently around the world.  In the United States, the day is celebrated by couples.  Many people celebrate their love by giving gifts, sending cards and letters, or by planning romantic meals or weekend getaways. In Japan, according to Fortune, it's customary for just the women to give confections to the men in their lives, with the quality of  chocolate indicating their true feelings.  In many Latin American countries, couples exchange flowers and chocolate, but the holidays focus is also aimed at friends, to show their gratitude. 

How ever you celebrate the day, remember, Valentine's Day is a day of love and fondness. Get creative and have fun on this day of celebrating love.  Leave a comment and let me know how you celebrate Valentine's Day!

Written by Mona Lazer