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Previous Issues > February 2007 > Special Feature > Happy Valentines Day!
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 Special Feature
Happy Valentines Day!
Valentine's cards. Chocolates. Candy hearts. Roses. These are just some of the things that come to mind when we think of Valentine's Day. This holiday is celebrated on February 14, and most people celebrate by giving cards, or valentines, to the people they love. No one is quite sure from where Valentines Day originated, but there are a few ideas.
One belief is that Valentine's Day had its beginnings in an ancient Roman festival called the Lupercalia. This festival, held on February 15, was named after the god Lupercus. Lupercus was thought to protect the people from the wolves who lived in the woods nearby. At the festival, people danced, sang and played games. Men often wore the names of the young women who were to be their partners during the festival pinned to their sleeves. (Have you heard the saying Wearing your heart upon your sleeve?) At Lupercalia, the couples sometimes exchanged gifts, and the women received perfume or jewels.
Another belief connects the day with two saints named Valentine. However, little is known about them. In fact, some people believe that the two people were actually one person. (Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.) According to legend, a priest named Valentine served during the third century in Rome. The emperor decided that single men made better soldiers than those who had wives and families, so he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine disobeyed the emperors order and continued to marry young couples. After the emperor discovered that Valentine was secretly marrying couples, he had the priest jailed and executed on February 14. Another story says that Saint Valentine himself sent the first valentine to his jailer's daughter, who brought him food. The message was signed, From your Valentine.
So who is this winged cherub shooting arrows of love that we often see on Valentine's cards? According to Roman mythology, he is Cupid or Amor. In Greek mythology, he is known as Eros, a young, playful god who was the son of Aphrodite. According to myth, he could cause love by shooting a gold-tipped arrow at an unsuspecting target, who would
immediately be overcome with love.
Sources: www.historychannel.com, The History Channel, A&E Television Networks; The New Book of Knowledge Encyclopedia, Scholastic Library Publishing.
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