Lupercalia was an ancient pagan festival held each year in Rome on February 15. Although Valentine’s Day shares its name with a martyred Christian saint, some historians believe the holiday is The theme of love running free and wild is another facet of this wonderful holiday-and deity: our own, inner wilderness being allowed to roam free. Valentine’s Day is the Modern equivalent of Lupercalia, even though much of the symbolism of the former has been lost over time, subsumed into the latter’s imagery of hearts, red, white and pink. Historical Crossroads: Valentine’s Day and Lupercalia. While Valentine’s Day is widely recognized as a celebration of love in modern times, its historical roots are far more intricate and, believe it or not, a bit wilder. The mid-February timing of Valentine’s Day intriguingly aligns with the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia It’s often speculated that Valentine’s Day has its roots in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, and it’s not hard to see why. Lupercalia was observed on February 15, and involved fertility rituals — albeit along with animal sacrifice and ritual whipping. Yet the link between this pagan festival and the Christian feast day that morphed into our modern ode to love and romance is Modern Valentine’s Day is a far more restrained version of the pagan holiday it replaced. During Lupercalia, Romans got naked, drunk, and there was whipping involved. Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 as St. Valentine’s Day in 496 AD, and the rest is this history. The Christian church may have been trying to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Long before Valentine’s Day was celebrated, the Ancient Roman festival took place on Feb. 15 Christian martyr Saint Valentine. Though pagan holidays were sometimes co-opted by the Church In the late 5th century, Pope Gelasius I outlawed Lupercalia. Some contend that he designated the celebration of St. Valentine's Day on February 14 to replace the pagan holiday. When did Valentine's Day become a romantic holiday? When Valentine's Day looms on the horizon, many people start thinking about love. Did you know that the modern Valentine's Day, although named for a martyred saint, actually has its roots in an early Pagan custom? Let's take a look at how Valentine's Day evolved from a Roman festival into the marketing behemoth that it is today. Every year on February 14, the world marks Valentine’s Day. Millions send messages and gifts of love to the people most important in their lives. You’d be forgiven for thinking the fourteenth has its roots in the Christian faith, with the day seemingly named after Saint Valentine, a priest who lived during the third century AD. Many consider Valentine's Day to be Christian holiday. After all, it is named after a Christian saint.But when we consider the matter more closely, the pagan connections to the date appear much stronger than the Christian ones. In the late 5th century A.C.E., Pope Gelasius I outlawed Lupercalia. Some sources contend that he designated the celebration of St. Valentine’s Day on February 14 to replace the pagan holiday. When did Valentine’s Day become a romantic holiday? In 2020 Forbes reported that Valentine’s Day is a now $20 billion holiday, “a day where 145 million cards trade hands.” The giving of cards on the holiday in America originated from Esther Howland. She designed unique, pricey cards that later turned into New England Valentine Co. With that being said Valentine's Day is sort of a Christian holiday and sort of isn't. On the one hand, February 14 is indeed the feast day of the Christian martyr Saint Valentine, according to Catholic Online. On the other hand, the day, at least as it's celebrated in the United States, is more of a cultural and retail holiday than anything else. Emperor Claudius II executed two men — both named Valentine — on Feb. 14 of different years in the third century. Their martyrdom was honored by the Catholic Church with the celebration of St. Valentine’s Day. Later, Pope Gelasius I muddled things in the fifth century by combining St. Valentine’s Day with Lupercalia to expel the pagan The exact history of Valentine's Day is a bit murky, but some historians believe the holiday is linked to Lupercalia, a pagan festival that was held annually between Feb. 13 and Feb. 15 in ancient The holiday’s origins likely predate the venerated saint. The date of St. Valentine’s execution, the day after the February full moon, might be the real connection with affection. As fans of Shakespeare know, the Idus or “Ides” of each month on the ancient Roman calendar was the day of the full moon. In this article, we take a look at the various historical and cultural influences that have shaped Valentine’s Day. From the mysterious figure of Saint Valentine and the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia to the medieval traditions of courtly love and the commercialization of the holiday in the modern era, we explore how February 14th became the day to celebrate love. History also records that around A.D. 500 Pope Gelasius established St. Valentine’s Day in an attempt to convert this pagan Roman fertility festival into a Christian holiday, thus retaining its attractions and making it easier for pagan people to accept Christianity.
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