What's the hype around Valentine’s Day? This is how it began and evolved

Valentine's Day is said to have its roots in the pagan Roman festival Lupercalia. The painting 'Lupercalia, óleo sobre lienzo' in Madrid's Museo del Prado. (Image: Andrea Camassei via Wikimedia Commons)

Even if you’re not someone who pays attention to this mid-February holiday, it’s hard to miss the hoopla around this amorous day. Red roses, heart shaped balloons and giant teddy bears peak from supermarkets and even gas stations while couples exchange cards decorated with ribbons and plump, bow-and-arrow-wielding Cupids. Love is everywhere!

Where did it all start?

The origins of this festival of candy and cupids are actually dark, bloody and a bit muddled. Historians believe that the holiday actually has its origins in a Pagan festival called "Lupercalia" in ancient Rome. The day was celebrated by sacrificing animals and smacking women with animal hides, a practice that was believed to encourage fertility. Another story credits the origins to another event when Emperor Claudius II executed two men both named Valentine on Feb. 14. Their martyrdom was honoured by the Catholic Church with the celebration of St. Valentine's Day.

As the years went on, the holiday grew sweeter. Chaucer and Shakespeare romanticised it in their work and handmade paper cards became the tokens du jour in the Middle Ages. The Industrial Revolution ushered in factory-made cards in the 19th century. But it really took off in 1913 when Hallmark Cards began mass-producing valentine’s day greeting card. February has not been the same since.

What about Cupid the charming cherub that appears on Valentine's Day cards? According to Time magazine, the figure is the Greek god of love named Eros, who was actually a handsome, immortal man with the intimidating power to make people fall in love. It wasn't until the 4th century BCE that the Romans adopted Eros into the image of a cute little boy with a bow and arrow, naming him "Cupid." By the turn of the 19th century, Cupid had become linked to Valentine's Day due to his love-matching powers.

Why red roses?
Though many choose to show their appreciation by exchanging cards, chocolates and gifts, one of the biggest motifs of Valentine’s Day is the red rose. The tradition of giving roses for Valentine’s Day has several stories, and like all the other stories associated with Cupid and Valentine’s Day, it’s rooted in Greek mythology. It is believed that the Goddess of Love, Venus, loved red roses. Some even believe that the first red rose grew on the ground where Adonis, Aphrodite’s lover, died and the goddess’s tears fell. All said and done a huge reason for giving roses for Valentine’s Day is simply because roses are beautiful, fabulous-smelling flowers that happen to travel really well.

Even the colour of roses given on Valentine's Day holds meaning. Red is associated with passion and romantic love. Part of this is probably because red dye used to be particularly expensive, difficult to obtain and synonymous with royalty. Interestingly the pink rose stands for appreciation and grace, yellow conveys friendship and happiness, and the white one implies innocence.

Enter chocolates

Cadbury was the one to connect Valentine's Day with chocolate. (Photo via unsplash)

Chocolates arrived on the scene in the mid-19th century. After all, chocolate had a reputation for aphrodisiac powers. Cadbury was the one to connect Valentine's Day with chocolate. Tapping into the Victorian fondness for ornamentation, Richard Cadbury launched "Fancy Boxes" of chocolates in 1861. Inside, under a heavily decorated lid, assorted bonbons filled with marzipan, chocolate-flavoured ganache and fruity crèmes nestled in lace doilies. Once the chocolates had been eaten, the boxes were deeply prized to store love letters, lockets of hair, and other treasured mementos. Though modern science has found little evidence of chocolate's purported libido-boosting properties, it still remains a hot favourite on this romantic day.

Around the world
While February 14 marks a day of flowers, greeting cards, and romantic dinners in most countries, some parts of the world have their own unique ways to celebrate St. Valentine.

In Japan, women make the first move on Valentine’s Day and give men gifts instead of the other way around. Men return the gesture on March 14. Known as White Day, men give women white chocolate and other white gifts as a sign of their affection.

Women in South Korea too give gifts to men on Valentine’s Day while men celebrate White Day. South Korea has a third holiday known as Black Day. Celebrated on April 14, single friends gather to eat noodles and celebrate being single. The name comes from the noodle dish, which includes white noodles in a black sauce.

Finland and Estonia celebrate Friend’s Day on February 14. Cards and gifts are given out to anyone from a best friend to a neighbour. February 14 is also a popular day to get engaged in both countries. Additionally, Estonia has an interesting tradition for single people. They can take a ride on the Love Bus in hopes of meeting someone special.

The Bronx Zoo in New York offers a unique way to show your undying love. For $15, you can name a giant Madagascar hissing cockroach after your special someone. It's a gift designed to last. After all, "roaches are forever," the site reminds us.