The Mixed-Up History Of Valentine's Day | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

The Mixed-Up History Of Valentine's Day

How the most romantic holiday ended up being in the dead of winter.

49
The Mixed-Up History Of Valentine's Day
Wikimedia Commons

Every Valentine's Day, all we see are cutesy couple posts on Facebook and single people complaining that no one will ever love them. But nobody stops to think about where Valentine's Day gets its name, or why it's associated with love in the first place. After all, Valentine's Day was named for a man; it is no mistake that the apostrophe designates possession. Most people know that there was a St. Valentine, but the awareness usually stops there. I decided to dig into the real history of Valentine's Day and figure out just why a saint's holiday came to be associated with candy hearts and sexy lingerie. And why the hell this romantic holiday takes place in the frigid winter.

Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to associate St. Valentine's Day with romantic love, because he wrote a poem about birds mating on said holiday. However, this poem was written to honor the marriage of King Richard II, which took place on May 2nd...right around mating season in England. So as it turns out, Geoffrey Chaucer, who started the whole Feb 14th romantic love Valentine's Day thing, might have actually been talking about the feast of St. Valentine of Genoa, which was on May 3rd, again, much closer to actual mating season. Totally different thing. Valentine's Day as we know it might only be a thing because people got the dates mixed up!

What should we be celebrating in mid February then? Well, the St. Valentine of February 14th fame was actually pretty cool. Though there is very little concrete history, the legend/myth/story of St. Valentine was persecuted for being a Christian in ancient Rome. He refused to deny Christ to the emperor Claudius II and was subsequently executed. OKAY. But before being sentenced to death, he gave sight to his jailer's blind daughter, converting their whole household to Christianity. Including servants, 44 people were baptized that day. So Christians could actually be celebrating a miracle, and the spread of their religion.

This honestly feels like it should be a religious article, and this is the part where I am supposed to tell you that Jesus is your Valentine, but I'm just a big fat atheist who is fascinated by the ways this holiday has changed. So go tell the people you love that you love them, whether that's God, your significant other, your friends, your cat, or all of the above! And eat some candy!



*Disclaimer: All of this information came from the Wikipedia pages on Valentine's Day and St. Valentine.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Adulting

18 Things I Want To Do Now That I'm 18

I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

1801
Happy Birthday Cake

For the entirety of my high school career, I was always seen as the goody-two-shoes. I never got in trouble with a teacher, I kept stellar grades, and when I wasn't doing extracurricular activities, I was at home studying. Even when I did go out, it was usually with a bunch of fellow band geeks. The night would end before 11:00 PM and the only controversial activity would be a fight based on who unfairly won a round of Apples-to-Apples when someone else clearly had a better card (I promise I'm not still holding a grudge).

Now that I'm officially an adult, I want to pursue some new things. I want to experience life in a way that I never allowed myself to do prior to entering college. These are the years that I'm supposed to embark on a journey of self-discovery, so what better way to do that than to create a bucket list?

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics

The holiday classics that shaped my life

1100
10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics
Flickr

The holiday season is full of stress, debt, and forced conversation. While we rush through the month of December, it's important to take a step back and enjoy the moments before they're gone. Most families love to watch Christmas movies, but these beloved films provide more than entertainment. Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned from the holiday classics we watch every year.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

200310
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

20948
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments