The Origin of Valentines Day

Now that it is February, It feels only fitting to write an article on the very famous tradition, Valentines Day! Valentines day is such a fun holiday filled with lots of laughter, love, and chocolate, but who knows where it came from? I didn’t until I did some research and found out that the origin story is pretty interesting. There are lots of versions and stories of how Valentines day came to be, but here are a few.

It is believed that the ancient Romans are responsible for giving us the wonderful holiday Valentines day! In the 3rd century Emperor Claudius executed two men both named Valentine on February 14. Their death was honored by the Catholic church with the celebration of St. Valentines Day. More specifically, it was Pope Gelasius who actually made it official to celebrate Valentines Day on the 14 of February.

Valentines Day is associated with love because it is a day to celebrate our love for others and let them know that people are glad to have them in their life. Also, the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was the first person to think of Valentines Day as a romantic holiday in his poem, “Parliament of Foules,” in which he wrote, ” “For this was sent on Seynt Valentine’s day / When every foul cometh there to choose his mate.” And overtime this holiday has just become a more lighthearted day for love, fun, and family.

Whether you’re spending the day with your special someone, hanging out with friends, or just chilling with your family, Valentines day is for you. There are a lot of opinions about celebrating Valentines day when you’re single, but this holiday can be celebrated either way. I know that I am going to be hanging out with my family this Valentines Day, and I’m going to tell them the story of how Valentines Day came to be. Maybe you can tell your favorite person now that you know the origin story.