Valentine's Day

Atualizado: 14 de fev. de 2022

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February 14th is Valentine’s Day!

Like June 12th in Brazil, in the US and several other countries, it is a day for lovers to exchange presents and cards expressing their eternal love.

Valentine’s day had its origins in the pagan Roman festival called Lupercalia which took place at the Lupercal which is the place where Romulus and Remus allegedly were suckled by a wolf.

In fact, the feast used to be celebrated on the 15th of February because there was a medieval legend which said that this was the exact date on which the birds used to choose their partners to nest and have their chicks and, as it seems, the romantic atmosphere encouraged people to follow suit.

But why is the holiday called Valentine’s Day?

Valentine's day was named after Saint Valentine.

Valentine was a Roman holy priest who committed the crime of continuing marrying young couples in secret even after emperor Claudius II had prohibited priests to do so. The emperor had banned weddings and engagements for believing that single young man would join the army more willingly than those with wife and kids and all he wanted was a strong army.

While Valentine was in house arrest, a lot of young people started coming to his place to throw, through his window, flowers and messages comforting him and declaring their undying faith in love.

Among them was his jailer's daughter who was blind and who, later, had the opportunity to pay a visit to Valentine in prison. Valentine then miraculously healed her eyes, she regained her eyesight, and they fell in love.

After that, they kept in touch exchanging love messages until Valentine, who had been sentenced to death was clubbed to death and beheaded on the 14th of February 270 A.D.

Valentine was made saint by the Catholic Church and February 14th was declared Saint Valentine's day. Little by little the holiday started being related to the Lupercalia love celebration and although it has been removed from the calendar as a holiday, Valentine's story remains and today the date is simply known as Valentine's day.

Story goes that Valentine affectionately signed his last love letter to his beloved one as, "your Valentine".

That's why nowadays to be someone's Valentine means to be someone's boyfriend or girlfriend and many lovers following in Saint Valentine's footsteps, finish their passionate letters the same way, by writing... .