Valentine’s Day annually takes place on February 14th, and is a day to celebrate the important people in your life. While this is a sweet tradition that has taken place for many years, Ginger Niehoff was wondering, “Where did Valentine’s Day originate from?” This is a good question, because not a ton of people understand the background behind this lovely holiday.  

To begin, Valentine’s Day originated based on traditions from a variety of different cultures and beliefs. Values and ideas from the Romans, Pagans, and Christians, these beliefs morphed into the Valentine’s Day we know and love today. These traditions originated from the festival of Lupercalia, which took place in Rome for many years on February 15th. Lupercalia was an ancient pagan festival meant for purification and fertility. 

This festival was held as a way to celebrate and honor Saint Valentine. Saint Valentine was a priest and or bishop who would secretly marry couples as a way to prevent them from going to war. As a result of Saint Valentine and everything he did, February 14th became a day of romance during the Middle Ages. 

Throughout history, many poets and writers have carried on the legacy of Valentine’s Day within their works, which is part of what keeps the holiday alive today. Today, there are so many ways people celebrate valentines day as a way to make people smile. Emelia Magner states, “My favorite way to celebrate valentines day is spending the day with friends and family.” Common ways people celebrate are giving each other cards and notes, flowers, chocolates, and candies, along with going out to dinner. So, for this valentines day, make sure you do something nice for the important people in your life as we keep Saint Valentine’s legacy alive.