How the Roman's did Valentine's Day
By 41Combedale
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
Greece
February 13, 2013 3:24am CST
I hope every expectant Mylotter will get their Valentine Card on the 14th and I wonder how many will know that this celebration was started by the Romans. As a pagan society they paid their respects to the goddess Februata Juno on 15th Feb.in a Festival known as Lupercalia. The girls put their names in an urn and it was a case of the boys taking a lucky dip. Not quite so romantic as the modern variety.
Once 'Christianised' it was necessary to remove the goddess and replace her with a Saint, they chose Valentine who was a priest in Rome who was martyred on 14 February 273AD. Apart from the close date to the Roman festival the man was a celibate and suffered a brutal matyrdom for helping Christians to escape death in the Coliseum.
Valentine was a man who showed love but not the kind that we celebrate on the day named after him.
3 people like this
6 responses
@wolfie34 (26770)
• United Kingdom
14 Feb 13
I wonder how blind dating came about when the girls put their names in an urn and the boys taking lucky dip, hence a blind date LOL. Or how tombolas and prize draws started, by picking out a name or a lucky number and the person who was chosen won a prize, interesting concept. It's an ordinary day for me my friend, I can't remember the last time I either sent or received a valentines day, back in the 90s I think. I just view it as a big commercialized racket.
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
14 Feb 13
which is exactly what it is wolfie. No cards to or from me either...
@chiyosan (30186)
• Philippines
14 Feb 13
hi there! =) what you shared is very interesting. Thank you so much for sharing this with us, i never really thought there was more to the story than St. Valentine being the reason for the celebration. I guess you are correct, the celebration then was a bit too different from the kind of celebration we have now. Perhaps Many of us just know that Its valentine's and a celebration of love, but true to what you said, it is different from why it was celebrated before.
Honestly though, Valentine's celebration now was quite different then and now. It is more commercialized now that everyone has to like buy flowers, chocolates, teddy bears, and stuff... sometimes its just too much of a propaganda that all girls must receive at least something on this day, otherwise she'd feel less beautiful or whatever. =(
1 person likes this
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
26 Feb 13
Flowers I can understand as a suitable gift for someone you love, but teddy bears? It makes one wonder about how young some of these would be Valentinos actually are.
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
13 Feb 13
I never knew that about Februata Juno, that the Romans honoured her on the 15th and that this was the day the boys chose who they were to marry or whatever. I am sure glad that it was changed to Valentine's Day although Saint Valentine's actions of love for his fellowman was of a more deeper and spiritual love then the way it is celebrated now.
1 person likes this
@gitfiddleplayer (10362)
• United States
13 Feb 13
Very cool! I didn't know that, thank you for enlightening me. I love Valentines Day, its the one day that I know I'll get some lovin and my kids love making Valentines Day cards for mommy. Sometimes we buy them but its fun to make them too.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
14 Feb 13
To me Valentines Day is a day for the celebration of love. It could be love for your sweetheart, for your children, for your parents or for your friends. I don't need a god or a goddess or a saint to celebrate this great thing called love. God is the source and the only origin of love not any god not any saint. I'm joining the world in celebrating this day not in honor of any god or saint but rather in my effort to show my loved ones that I care for them and that love deserves one special day of celebration while at the same time showing my love for them in hundred different ways every day.
@blue65packer (11826)
• United States
13 Feb 13
I always thought Valentine's Day was created because of the Saint Valentine. I didn't know the history of Valentine's Day was orginally a Roman holiday to show their respects to the goddss Februata. I also didn't realize Saint Valentine was a priest and what he did. I just learned something! I do know Christmas started off being a Roman pagan hoilday! Anyway thanks for the story!
1 person likes this
