Most of us in America celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14 with cards, flowers and sweets—typical but commercialized expressions of love. The origins of Valentine’s Day are not, however, very clear—or very sweet! In this blog post, we’ll explore the origins and myths around Valentine’s Day using virtual library resources you can access from any device connected to the internet.
Who was Saint Valentine, what's he got to do with love and why Feb. 14?
Famous as the patron saint of lovers, the historical Saint Valentine is an uncertain figure. He may have been a Roman doctor and priest who was martyred in the reign of Claudius II. Or he may have been a bishop of Turni executed in Rome about 273 CE. Or both of these persons may have been one. In any case, long before the existence of such a saint, the ancient Greeks are said to have celebrated February 14—or the equivalent on their calendar—as the day of the goddess Hera, symbolic of femininity and marriage, and the Romans continued the custom in relation to their deity Juno. The day, then, already had associations with love and marriage when the historical Valentine was martyred, although the association between his feast day and young love appears to date only from the 14th century.
From Folk Heroes and Heroines around the World, found in our Gale Literary Sources database.
The origins of Valentine's Day, celebrated on February 14th as a day of romantic love and courtship, are murky. Although the link is unsubstantiated, its precursor may be Lupercalia, the Roman spring feast of fertility in which, as part of the festivities, men chose a sweetheart by drawing a woman's name from an urn.
From the "Valentine's Day" entry by Liz Locke in Encyclopedia of Women's Folklore and Folklife, available in the World Folklore and Folklife database.
Find books for kids and students about Valentine's Day. Click any of the book images below to find that item in our catalog.
So how did cards become associated with Saint Valentine?
The first known written Valentine's message was sent in 1684; however, the Valentine's card as we know it today did not to begin to gain any popularity until around 1750. These handmade cards were gradually replaced by mass-produced cards introduced in the nineteenth century. The comic Valentine came into being in 1840. Between about 1840 and 1900, the sending of Valentine's cards came to be popular, aided by the development of the Penny Post in Great Britain and the United States, which ensured the anonymity of the sender.
From the chapter "Valentine's Day" in Marriage Customs of the World: An Encyclopedia of Dating Customs and Wedding Traditions, Expanded 2nd ed., vol. 2, found in the Gale Literary Sources database.
Now that we know more about Saint Valentine and how this day became a holiday, let’s get to the fun part: making Valentines and celebrating romance! Click any book cover below to find that item in our catalog.
Hoopla has collections of Valentine’s Day ebooks and movies for adults, plus Valentine's Day for Kids and juvenile nonfiction ebooks with craft activities and cookie recipes. Find even more Hoopla collections by clicking on the images below!
