Valentines Day may be associated with romance, but the history of the holiday isnt exactly lovey-dovey.
Here are the facts you may not knowplus, fun ideas for Valentine’s Day 2025.
When Is Valentines Day?
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In 2025, Valentine’s Day will be on a Friday for the first time since 2020.
How Did Valentines Day Start?
Some historians believe it has roots in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia.
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Held yearly on February 15, Lupercalia celebrated the coming of spring and fertility.
As Christianity spread, pagan rituals fell out of favor.
At the end of the 5th century AD, Pope Gelasius I outlawed the celebration.
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Regardless, the Christian holiday eventually overtook the riotous Lupercalia.
Who Was St. Valentine?
Prior to his execution, he miraculously healed the daughter of his jailer.
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Whoever the man was, the feast day in his name replaced the pagan Roman festival of Lupercalia.
How Did a Christian Holiday Become a Modern-Day Celebration of Romance?
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Before the 14th century, St. Valentine’s Day was primarily about honoring a Christian martyr.
The English poet Geoffrey Chaucer is credited with connecting St. Valentine’s Day to the idea of romance.
From then on, Valentine’s Day was seen as a day of romantic love.
So we can thank poetrythe ultimate romantic art formfor our modern-day idea of the holiday.
Yet the romantic holiday isn’t immune to tragedy.
Why Do We Send Valentines?
They were possibly inspired by the German tradition of exchangingFreundschaftskarten,or friendship cards.
These early valentines were handmadesometimes very elaborately with lace and ribbonsand inscribed with sentimental messages.
Over time, as printing and postal services advanced, valentines became a big commercial business.
We thinkDIY Valentine’s card ideasare still worth trying, though!
What Is Galentine’s Day, and How Is It Related to Valentine’s Day?
Is Valentine’s Day an Official Holiday?
And unfortunately for all the romantics out there, it’s not a bank holiday or day off.
What’s the Meaning of Valentines Day?
Over the centuries, Valentine’s Day has been a religious feast day and a secular day of romance.
In its earliest incarnation, it was even a ritual celebrating fertility and springtime.
you could celebrate the day of love however you wanteven if it’s just through self-love.
Here are some ideas that could inspire you.
