Origin of Valentine’s Day

AP

A vendor sells balloons on Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, Feb.14, 2017, in Manila, Philippines. Valentine’s Day, associated with love and romance, is expressed with flowers, chocolates, balloons and dinner dates. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Many couples use February 14 as a day to celebrate their relationships with gifts galore. However, the origin of Valentine’s Day is little mentioned as the focus has shifted to chocolates and teddy bears. Valentine’s Day is said to have originated from the ancient Roman festival Lupercalia. This festival was a celebration of fertility celebrated on February 15. In around 496 AD, Pope Gelasius I changed the pagan celebration into a Christian feast day, moved it to February 14, and renamed it Saint Valentine’s Day. The new holiday was named after Saint Valentine, a Roman priest who was arrested for marrying Christian couples while the Christians were being persecuted in Rome. Regardless of its origin, Valentine’s Day is a time to appreciate your loved ones, whether it be showering them with gifts or just telling them how much you care.