Valentine’s Day: The Tradition of Celebrating Love

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, so I decided to learn more about this holiday I’ve been celebrating for my entire life. It turns out Valentine’s day is a far more interesting holiday than I assumed it to be with a history dating back to 496 AD and a multitudes of traditions spanning the globe.

Early Victorian Steel Cut Heart & Arrow Brooch

Valentine, in times of yore, was a popular name and the name of several saints which is how the Valentine’s Day tradition began. It was originally a Catholic Saint day.

Edwardian Mystica Rosa Diamond & Pearl Pendnat Necklace

In the original tale Saint Valentine was a Christian martyr executed for refusing to convert to Roman paganism. Before his death he was said to have healed his jailor’s blind daughter.

The legend has grown over time, perhaps fueled by the more modern associations with the name Valentine. According to legend (and I must in good faith say the legend is very suspect), Roman Emperor Claudius II ordered the soldiers of his army to remain single as he believed they would thus be better soldiers. Priest Valentine however believed in love and performed secret marriage ceremonies for the emperor’s young soldiers. When he was found out he was jailed.  Legend then holds that the night before he was executed he wrote a letter to the jailor’s daughter, signing it “From your Valentine”.

Circa 1840 Mt. Vesuvius Ash Cupid Brooch

It was in 1382, however, that Valentine’s Day truly came to be viewed as a romantic holiday. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote “For this was Saint Valentine’s Day when every bird cometh to choose his mate” in the Parlement of Foules.

Victorian Buckle Ring: Symbol of Love & Friendship

And it was in 1797 that Valentine’s Day came even closer to the holiday we celebrate today, as people began to send cards. These cards were generally hand written and quite romantic. In the 19^th and 20^th century, people more frequently began to send anonymous love letters, allowing them selves to say the unspoken on paper. They also exchanged candy, flowers and love tokens.

Beautiful Seed Pearl Brooch: Birds were often featured in antique love tokens

This tradition has of course continued to this day, with each country expressing its own variation. There is something quite beautiful about most places in the world choosing to celebrate love. Sometimes it is to celebrate romantic love, sometimes it is to celebrate the love of friends and sometimes it celebrates both.

Vintage Silver Heart Shaped Box

Because Valentine’s Day, at its best, is about expressing love for another persona and really what can be better than that. This can be romantic love, platonic love, filial love, and love of teacher. In fact teachers receive more Valentine’s Day cards than anyone else in America.  And that is kind of beautiful too!