The history of Valentine’s Day

Historically, Valentine’s Day became popular and well-known around the same time that romantic love became popular in the 1800s.

Candace Gregory, history professor, said although popularity of the holiday can be traced there is no historical event or time period that Valentine’s Day grew out of.

Gregory said one connection to Valentine’s Day is rooted in a Roman festival called Lupercalia celebrated in mid-February.

“Lupercalia is a fertility festival,” Gregory said. “Unlike our Valentine’s Day, it wasn’t about love, it was just about sex – very explicit sex.”

True to pagan tradition, she said, sacrifices were made at each festival. She said at Lupercalia a dog was sacrificed.

“Young men would take bloody strips of hide from this dog and whip their favorite women, in a flirtatious way, with the hide – as a kind of marking mechanism. Similar to, “Hey, you’re my valentine,'” Gregory said.

The real distortion of Valentine’s Day, she said, occurred because of the Victorians.

“The Victorians just kind of over did everything,” Gregory said. “Their books are too long, their clothes are too much but that’s okay – that’s what makes the Victorians the Victorians.”

Gregory said it was the Victorians who made Valentine’s Day the schmaltzy holiday that it is today – with the fussy cards, over-commercialization and over-bearing romantic gestures.

Student opinions on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a special day every year for people to share feelings of love and friendship, said Grace Ogata, freshman mathematics major.

“Even if I’m not in a relationship,” Ogata said. “I still take the time every year to share with my friends and family how much I care for each of them.”

Ogata said she remembers how important Valentine’s Day was to her as a child in elementary school. She remembers buying candy hearts and animated valentines to hand out to classmates on the big day.

Aaron Singh, junior computer science major, said he tends to disagree with Ogata’s stance.

“Valentine’s Day is overrated. I think that if you love somebody then you should love them everyday – not just one day a year,” Singh said.

Singh said he prefers to remain single on Valentine’s Day so that he can take out whomever he wants. He said he has had romantic Valentine’s Days in the past that did not end up being worth his time.

“It’s these social constructions that set people up for failure,” Singh said. “I’ve had plenty of girlfriends who expect way too much out of me just because all the Valentine’s Day commercials would get them all hyped up.”

Alex Wion, junior mechanical engineering major, agrees that Valentine’s Day should not be a bitter holiday for singles.

“If you’re comfortable being single then you will be comfortable on Valentine’s Day – no matter what,” Wion said.

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