Introduction: Is valentine’s day pagan? History has made several stories for us. When talking about valentine’s day, the first things that hit our thoughts are flowers and chocolates. But when we move towards history, this day is not as beautiful as it seems.
On Valentine’s Day, most people, especially the young generation, move towards flowers and chocolates for their loved ones. From more than 1800 years ago, this day has been celebrated as a tradition.
A brief history of valentine’s day
Valentine’s day belongs to a great Christian named St. Valentine’s Day. The holiday on February 14 is for lovers to their heart ones to celebrate by giving them greetings and gifts. It’s been heard that February 14 origin from the Roman festival of Lupercalia, celebrated in the middle of February.
The tradition, which was celebrated at the start of spring, enclosed fertility and the coupling of ladies with men by lottery. At the beginning of the fifth century, Pope Gelasius forbade the celebration of Lupercalia. The reason for stopping this celebration was that men were not coming toward the army. The army was not growing well. He needs to develop a strong army for his country.
On the other hand, St. Valentine, a true Christian, started secretly making marriages. When Gelasius learned about these wedding ceremonies, he ordered them to murder him. It is said that this day is celebrated in his remembrance.
Although many Christian martyrs named Valentine, the day could have taken its name from a priest martyred in 270 EC by the Emperor of Rome II Gothicus. It is written in history the priest signed a letter “from your Valentine” to his jailer’s daughter, whom he had befriended and, for some genetic reasons, she was suffering from a visual disorder.
St. Valentine brought his vision back by putting his hand on her eyes. It is written that it was St. Valentine of Terni, a bishop, for whom this festival was named. It is said that both Saint Valentine’s were the same personalities. It is also stated that St. Valentine defied the emperor’s orders on married couples to relieve their husbands from war. It’s for this reason that his holiday is related to love.
The first traditional Valentine’s Day in the united state was written in the mid-1800s. The day celebration started in the United States, first in Britain, Canada, and Australia, and celebrated in other countries, together with Argentina, France, Mexico, and Asian countries as the holiday of the festival that has dilated to express their feelings among relatives and friends.
Do pagans celebrate valentine’s day?
It’s a Christian festival celebrated in remembrance of Saint Valentine. However, as common with most Christian holidays, they coincide with older Pagan celebrations. The first Christians quietly conveyed their message to bring them towards Christianity, who accepted their region, and they had to follow their traditions and create Christianity appealing.
The Christians placed Christmas throughout the Pagan Saturnalia and had several equal Festivals. The Christians were in the minority, that’s why having many punishments and were degraded by the state people. This religion was spreading secretly at that time.
As an example, the pagans were celebrating their festival as to follow of refraining from meat throughout Lent may be a previous folks’ hygiene follow from northern Europe. Primitive preservation practices were skimpy to stay meat long enough to hide the whole winter.
therefore, if folk’s Greek deity meat was preserved rather ]more than four months earlier, some became sick and died. However, the Gregorian calendar month is lambing season once the previous meat begins to go unhealthy.
If you Greek deity the newborn lambs, they couldn’t grow old and fill the flock again. Therefore a taboo grew au fait intake of meat from a concerning period till mid-April, once the young animals were larger. Later, once Christianity unfolds to northern Europe, voilá! Mix Easter with this taboo, and you’ve got Lent.
Why can we celebrate valentine’s day?
The most common thing is that this was celebrated in the month Saint Valentine was martyred. However, some theorists believe it was 1st celebrated in February to overshadow a pagan celebration. The Lupercalia celebrations concerned clergymen, a sacred cave, and sacrifices within the varieties of goats and dogs.
It was a festival that was celebrated to make the ladies more fertile once in the year; since the Christians didn’t believe this follow, it was finished by them that they made to celebrate Valentine’s Day during this month too.
Is valentine’s day pagan?: valentine’s day evolution
History has a story that Saint Valentine was punished and sent a message to his lover signed ‘From your Valentine.’ It was very romantic for that time, and if it’s true, it was a positive message, one of the beautiful words or phrases written and seen on Valentine’s Day cards nowadays. Inside London’s, British Library is a manuscript of the first beautiful valentine’s message that we still have recorded.
Charles, Duke of Orleans, was in jail and wrote a love letter to his spouse in 1415. Whereas Saint Valentine’s message of love could be strictly hidden, Charles’ tale is true. Most admiring and fearless couple of hundred years and Valentine’s Day cards started being made in a factory in their country on February 14.
In the 1840s in America, cards were being factory-made with lace, ribbons, and pretty decorations. There are currently around one billion Valentine’s Day cards purchased yearly, and (you won’t be shocked to know) eighty-five percent of them are bought by girls.
Celebration of the day in the 21st century
The celebration has roots in an ancient pagan celebration that started centuries before Valentine was even alive. It is celebrated in Rome in Feb, a part of the event celebrated for making new couples on this day.
Valentine’s Day traditions have changed over the years. For instance, within the middle Ages—which lasted from the fifth to fifteenth centuries in Europe—people started exchanging cards with beautiful notes within cards. Nowadays, billions of youngsters spend their money on Valentine’s Day cards and gifts every year around the world.
In a tradition that started in the Middle Age, African girls write the name of their crushes and loved ones on their sleeves. Many ladies pin the names of their crushes on their shirtsleeves, generally showing themselves as secret lovers to their sweethearts.
Also read: History of valentine’s day; How valentine day was invented; How valentine day is celebrated.
