Valentine’s Week 2019: History, significance and importance of Valentine Week

History of Valentine’s Day

It is popularly believed that Valentine’s Day is celebrated to commemorate the death anniversary of Saint Valentine who died in February, way back in 270 AD. At the same time, others believe that the celebrations has its roots in the church’s attempt to ‘Christianise’ the Roman Lupercalia festival celebrations, a festival that is dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, along with the Roman founders of Romulus and Remus.

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As the story goes, the celebrations included men picking names of women from a box and expressing their love for them during the festival. Sometimes, this would also culminate in marriage.

By the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius chose the time of Lupercalia celebrations as the date to commemorate Saint Valentine, thus leading to the association of Valentine’s Day with love and romance.

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Who is St Valentine and why is the day named after him?

Saint Valentine, a priest, was believed to help Christian couples in love to secretly get married. Because of this, he was beheaded by Emperor Claudius II who prohibited men from getting married as he thought single men made for dedicated and better soldiers. Saint Valentine did not support this idea and therefore, facilitated weddings of people who were in love and wanted to marry.

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Importance and Significance of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day celebrates love and companionship. The celebrations start a week before with Rose Day when people express their love by giving roses to each other. It is followed by Propose Day when lovers pop the question. Then comes Chocolate Day followed by Teddy Day when chocolates and teddy bears are exchanged as a symbol of love. The next two days are celebrated as Hug Day and Kiss Day.