From butterfly-stomach teenagers giving their first Valentine’s Day gift to practiced romantic souls who’ve made honoring their beloved an art form, the day of celebrating love spans far and wide. Some think the day has become too much about retail sales and less about true love. Named after Saint Valentine, the patron saint of love, the day remains one of the most notable dates in the calendar.
Restaurants book up months in advance for February 14, and sales of chocolates and red roses soar. People search for poems that capture their feelings or write their own dedication to the love of their life.
So is Valentine’s Day the most romantic day of the year? And where is it celebrated exactly? Let’s find out how people mark this day and if Saint Valentine’s Day really is all about hearts and flowers.
A Few Interesting Facts About Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is celebrated in a broad range of countries, from the United States and Mexico to France and the Philippines. Other celebrating countries include South Korea and Denmark.
Americans are expected to spend just under $26 billion for Valentine’s Day in 2023, an average of around $78 for every person in the country.
Greeting card company Hallmark estimates that around 145 million store-bought Valentine’s Day cards are sent annually in the U.S., not including DIY Valentine offerings. Christmas is by far the most popular greeting card day with 1.3 billion cards, followed by Valentine’s Day, then Mother’s Day.
When it comes to romantic music, “Endless Love” by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross is the United States’ most successful song containing the word love. And it may just be that we celebrate Saint Valentine because the man had his head chopped off by the Romans. Yikes! Well, they do say people can lose their heads over love.
What Is the History of Valentine’s Day?
Like many Christian festivals, Valentine’s Day finds its roots in Roman rituals, and spring officially began mid-February (15th) during the Roman Empire. Purification and renewal were among the themes, along with the celebration of agriculture, in a festival known as Lupercalia. As a fertility festival of sorts, men would pull a girl’s name from an urn with the intention of finding love.
The name Saint Valentin became synonymous with Lupercalia around 270 A.D. Once more, the Romans were involved. One legend states that Roman Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage, believing single men were superior soldiers to married men.
Despite the Emperor’s ban, a priest named Valentine would marry lovestruck couples in secret. His actions led to imprisonment, where he promptly fell in love with his jailer’s daughter. The Romans decided to execute Valentine, but not before the priest signed a final note to his love, “From Your Valentine,” which would become the inspiration for centuries of romantic dedications.
Valentine couldn’t evade his execution and became a Christian martyr, and one of several Saint Valentines in the Catholic Church. It was in the fifth century A.D. that Pope Gelasius I outlawed Lupercalia and replaced it with Valentine’s Day in memory of the priest named Valentine. So, unfortunately, a head being lopped off is what (unromantically) kickstarted a day of celebration between loved ones.
How Did Valentine’s Day Become Popular?
Valentine’s Day wasn’t an immediately famous festival in the way of New Year’s Eve or birthdays and was only sometimes linked to love.
English poet Geoffrey Chaucer’s 1375 poem “Parliament of Foules” paired St Valentine’s Day with romance for the first time. Chaucer wrote: “For this was on Seynt Valentynes day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.” (In modern English, that translates to: “For this was sent on St Valentin’e’s Day / When every fool comes to choose their mate.”) In the following century, written Valentin notes and cards started appearing.
Who Wrote the First Valentine’s Day Card?
We’ll never know who wrote the first Valentine’s Day card, but we know the oldest surviving example.
It’s often incorrectly stated that a poem to his wife by Charles, Duke of Orleans, written while imprisoned in the Tower of London, is the oldest-known Valentine’s Day card. It dates from 1415 but wasn’t really a Valentine’s card — it was more a way to excuse himself from a courtly custom of a knight offering their service to a married lady.
The oldest surviving Valentine’s Day card was written in 1477 in Norfolk, England. In one of many letters to her aristocratic love, John Paston, Margaret Brews wrote to him in February, calling him my “right well-beloved Valentine.” Furthermore, she signed off with “Your Valentine, Margaret Brews.”
In the 1600s, the great bard William Shakespeare mentioned Valentine’s Day in at least two of his plays. In 1797, in England, “The Young Man’s Valentine Writer” was published, cementing the day as one of romance in popular culture. However, the significant pick-up of Valentine’s Day in the U.S. came down to one lady.
Is Esther Howland the Mother of American Valentine’s Day?
Esther Howland started mass-producing Valentine’s Day cards in the 1800s. Howland didn’t invent Valentine’s cards — these had been in circulation in Europe for many centuries — but her work earned her the nickname “the mother of the American valentine.”
Before Howland, many American cards were crude, insulting, and sometimes disparaging to those who were not white. Howland had seen the preciously ornate English Valentine’s Day cards and thought she could produce a similar quality product with a loving sentiment at a lower price. The handmade cards featured lace, silk, and glitter and are cherished collector’s items today.
Is a Valentine the Same as a Partner?
Your valentine is often your partner or sweetheart. For many, it can also mean someone admired but for whom you haven’t declared your feelings. That’s why many St. Valentine’s Day cards are sent anonymously. Some people celebrate Valentine’s Day with their friends without romantic notions behind any gifts or cards exchanged. One such popular alternative is Galentine’s Day, which celebrates women’s best friends on February 13.
How Does Cupid Relate to Valentine’s Day?
The popular image of Cupid on Valentine’s Day cards is of a naked cherub firing love arrows at unsuspecting people. Cupid started as the Greek god of love and was called Eros, the Greek word for desire.
Eros was a handsome chap who wielded great power by making people fall in love and then controlling them. It made him unconquerable in Greek myth. By the fourth century B.C., people’s natural fear of Eros saw the myth shift slightly, and he could only act upon his mother Aphrodite’s wishes.
The Roman era saw Eros’ name changed to Cupid, retaining the meaning of desire but changing how he was perceived. Cupid was suddenly more of a cute little child who helped people fall in love when following his mother’s orders.
Renaissance painters in the 1600s loved the imagery, so Cupid as the naked, child-like, love-bombing archer became popular. It was an easy step for Cupid to make it into the modern world of Saint Valentine’s Day.
What Are Some of the Best Valentine’s Day Gifts?
The best Valentine’s Day gift ideas are personal and mean something to the intended recipient. It doesn’t mean breaking the bank with a weekend getaway to Los Angeles or a shopping trip to New York. By opening your heart to someone first, you offer them more than anything money can buy.
Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas
Classic gifts include red roses, chocolates, a card with a poem dedicated to your love, or a meal out, possibly at their favorite restaurant. But gifts don’t have to cost a lot of money or even be material things. Your special someone will appreciate your time and effort in making them a gift, so don’t be afraid to get creative.
- Create a playlist of their most-played tunes. For the technologically challenged, consider going old-school and burn the songs onto a CD.
- Snuggle up and watch a rom-com; Netflix has a new romantic love movie called “Your Place or Mine,” or go for Garry Marshall’s classic “Valentine’s Day” movie.
- Bake some cupcakes in their favorite flavor. Or make easy chocolate truffles — you only need three ingredients and five minutes!
- Don’t fancy a restaurant? Cook their favorite meal instead.
- Make heart art, from bookmarks to cards to paintings to origami heart flowers.
- Plan a day party featuring all your partner’s favorite activities.
Romantic gestures come in many forms and many won’t be found by scouring Amazon. A walk through a wooded glen, returning to where you first met, or a hand-in-hand stroll along the beach or a lake are all fantastic ways to celebrate February 14.
What Are the Seven Days of Valentine?
The seven days of Valentine are perfect for those who cannot get enough of love’s allure. Every day of the week leading up to February 14 is a reason to send a card, message, or make a declaration based on a theme.
The seven days of Valentine are:
- Rose Day (Feb 7): People give a rose to their loved one — red for love, yellow for friendship, and pink for gratitude.
- Propose Day (Feb 8): As it sounds, this day is when people might propose to their beloved.
- Chocolate Day (Feb 9): Make your loved one feel special with some tasty chocolate treats.
- Teddy Day (Feb 10): Some folks just love teddy bears! And it’s on this day you may choose to give a teddy bear as a present.
- Promise Day (Feb 11): On this day, people make promises to loved ones, friends, and family members to build bonds of trust.
- Hug Day (Feb 12): Give someone a (welcomed) hug day on this day.
- Kiss Day (Feb 13): With permission, you may kiss your significant other to remind them how special they are to you.
These seven days are followed by the big event on February 14, Valentine’s Day.
Is Valentine’s Day a Public Holiday?
No, it’s not a public holiday in the United States, Mexico, or many other countries.
What Is Galentine’s Day?
Galentine’s Day falls the day before Valentine’s Day, February 13. It’s a time to celebrate the value of your friendships. As its name suggests, it’s a day that honors the females, or gals, in your life.
Do Hispanics Celebrate Valentine’s Day?
Hispanics celebrate Valentine’s Day, often in much the same way as in the United States, but with significant twists. Indeed, some regions change not only the date but also the meaning. Let’s look at the Hispanic twists on Valentine’s Day across the globe.
What Do Mexicans Call Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day in Mexico is called El Dia Del Amor y la Amistad, which translates as the Day of Love and Friendship.
El Dia Del Amor y la Amistad is celebrated on February 14 and can celebrate your significant other, and the love shared between friends and family. Everyone and anyone can receive a gift or poem to represent the love shared.
Some people hire mariachi bands to sing outside their loved one’s home the night before El Día Del Amor y la Amistad. Many people also release balloons into the sky with poetry attached.
How Do You Say Happy Valentine’s Day in Spanish in Mexico?
Happy Valentine’s Day in Spanish translates literally to ¡Feliz Día de San Valentín!
In Mexico, people say ¡Feliz Día del Amor y la Amistad!, meaning happy love and friendship day. Other valuable phrases on this day could include:
Te quiero (mucho): I love you (very much), used often but not exclusively for partners.
Te amo: I love you, for very serious relationships and immediate family.
Te adoro: I adore you.
Bésame: Kiss me.
Abrázame: Hug me.
What Are Three Spanish Names for Valentine’s Day?
Spain has many names and ways to celebrate St Valentine’s Day.
El Dia de San Valentin is a straight translation.
The second is Día del Corte Inglés (The Day of the Corte Inglés department store), a pithy reminder that retailers do well on February 14. El Corte Inglés is one of Spain’s most successful shopping brands.
Finally, there is Día de los Enamorados or the Day of Those in Love.
How Do Different Countries Celebrate Valentine’s Day?
If we take Valentine’s Day to mean a celebration of love, there are many different festivities globally.
In Spain, the autonomous region of Catalunya hosts a huge day of roses and books on April 23, the date Shakespeare died and where Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes was buried.
It’s also St. George’s Day, and the local Catalans call it El Día de Sant Jordi. Some call it The Day of the Rose or The Day of the Book. Traditionally, a man handed a woman a rose and a woman, her “learned” male partner, a book.
Thankfully, times have moved on, and anyone can receive one or either of the gifts, which, as the saying goes: “A rose is for love and a book forever.”
Further south in Valencia, October 9 is the day of love, called the Day of Saint Dionysius (El Día de Sant Dionís). This is a local public holiday with parades and fancy dresses. Lovers give delicate marzipan figures wrapped in scarves to their beloved.
Argentineans mark February 14 but also dedicate a whole week to swapping candles and kisses. Called La Semana de la Dulzura, or the Week of Sweetness, it takes place from July 13-20.
Spring influences the Bolivians who celebrate El Día de Amor (Day of Love). September 21 is springtime in the Andean country, and this day is to honor friendship and love.
What Is the True Meaning of Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day is unique within each relationship, like the love between partners, friends, and family.
Its roots as a fertility festival, influenced by Greek and Roman mythology, saw it later stymied and banned by the growing power of the Catholic Church. Ironically, one of the church’s Christian martyrs would give his name to what we know now as Valentine’s Day.
The poor priest who was executed, Valentine, died while in love. Eros, and later Cupid, added their own sprinkle of magic dust before the poets and artists of the Middle Ages started to make St. Valentine’s Day more popular.
Cynics may see Valentine’s Day as nothing more than a day for retailers to drive consumerism. But Valentine’s Day can be the most romantic day of the year without spending a cent if you open your heart and allow it. To this day, love still conquers the mall.
Brought to you by amigoenergy
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