Valentine’s Day history: How women were whipped to promote fertility
Every year on February 14, people around the world pull out all the stops to show and express their love on Valentine’s Day. It is a day marked by grand gestures, lavish gifts and romantic gestures as couples and individuals alike strive to demonstrate the depth of their affection for their loved ones.
While love is the agenda of the day, this day for simple celebration continues to be turned into a highly commercialized day. What was once a day for expressing heartfelt sentiments has transformed into a consumerist frenzy, with businesses capitalizing on the holiday to sell flowers, chocolates, cards and other gifts at inflated prices.
But as people celebrate this day, have they ever sat down and wondered why Valentine’s Day came to be? What the history behind this red-themed day is?
Valentine’s Day traces its origin back to the ancient Roman empire. History has it that during the festival of Lupercalia- which was held in mid February- the Roman god of agriculture, Faunus, was celebrated. The festival was a fertility celebration.
During this festival, Roman priests called Luperci would sacrifice a goat and a dog, and then whip women with the hides of the animals they had just slain. This was believed to promote fertility and purification.
Later, the Christian church sought to Christianize the festival, and around the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I declared February 14th as Valentine’s Day after Saint Valentine. There are popular legends as to whom Saint Valentine could be considering that there were many Christian matyrs during this time.
It was believed Saint Valentine was a Roman priest who performed secret marriages for soldiers who were forbidden to marry. The other legend was that he helped prisoners escape from harsh Roman prisons and during this time, he fell in love with a jailer’s daughter. Once imprisoned, he sent his lover a letter signed ‘From your Valentine’ just before his execution and that is how he became associated with love and romance.
As you go about celebrating love and affection on Valentine’s Day, it might be worth it to remember the origins of the holiday and the sacrifices made by those who came before us. The story of St Valentine serves as a reminder of the struggles and hardships endured in the name of love.
While our modern celebrations may look different, the spirit of love and compassion remains the same. So, as you exchange gifts and tokens of affection with your loved ones, take a moment to reflect on the history of Valentine’s Day and the women who were whipped during Lupercalia and Saint Valentine’s execution; and let their stories inspire you to cherish and appreciate the love in your life.
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