Happy Valentine’s Day!
February 14th is just around the corner which means that talk of love is everywhere. Last year I saw a live taping of Modern Love (one of my favorite podcasts) at the Wilbur theater. If you haven’t yet listen to or read the Modern Love column in the New York Times, I highly recommend that you do. The most succinct description is provided by the New York Times, “weekly essays that explore the joys and tribulations of love.” Whereas, I would have loved to go back to the Wilbur for another live taping, being in Pairs makes this not possible. The celebration of Valentine’s Day originated in Paris, so I thought it would be appropriate to cover the history and significance of the holiday in my blog.
Origins of the Holiday
The History Channel tells us that from February 13th through February 15th the Romans used to celebrate the Feast of Lupercalia. This was a festival whereby “members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa.” They would sacrifice a goat (representing fertility) and a dog (representing purification). Then the women and the fields were slapped with the hides of the slaughtered animals. The logic was that that this act would make them more fertile in the years to come. Due to this connotation, the women lined up to be gently slapped with the bloody hides.
There was also a matchmaking lottery, where bachelors would pick young women’s names out of an urn and the couple would be “matched” for the rest of the year — typically these matches ended in marriage.
Who was Saint Valentine?
The history of Saint Valentine is a little murky. During the days of early Christianity, there were many Christian martyrs named Valentine.
In the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I declared February 14th Valentine’s Day. Some believe that the date was chosen to commemorate the burial of Saint Valentine of Rome, which occurred in mid February around 270 AD. Others believe that the date was chosen to Christianize the Roman pagan feast, the Feast of Lupercalia .
According to the Catholic Church, ” In 1969, the Roman Catholic Church removed St. Valentine from the General Roman Calendar, because so little is known about him. However, the church still recognizes him as a saint, listing him in the February 14 spot of Roman Martyrology.”
The significance of Saint Valentine’s Day is unclear. Saint Valentine is the patron saint of: love, young people, and happy marriages. However this connotation most likely came about during the Middle Ages.
Romanticizing of Valentine’s Day
Charles, Duke of Orléans, was a French noble who was captured after the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 and was held as prisoner in the Tower of London. While being held, he wrote a valentine to his wife; this is the oldest valentine still in existence. It is a sad letter entitled “Farewell to Love.“
Chaucer and Shakespeare romanticized this correspondence in their work.
“For this was on St. Valentine’s Day,
When every fowl cometh there to choose his mate.” – Chaucer
Modern Interpretation
Valentine’s Day became popular during the 17th century in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia. People started to exchange gifts and love notes in celebration of Valentine’s Day. In the 20th century pre-printed cards gained popularity because they were easy to write and postage was relativity inexpensive.
Regardless of whether you are a fan of Hallmark cards and boxed chocolates, Americans spent over $30 billion on the holiday last year alone. The US Census Bureau published some staggering statistics about Valentine’s Day spending.
Village of Saint-Valentin
In the Loire Valley in Southern France, there is this little town named St. Valentin. The little village of 285 people goes all out for La Saint-Valentin (Valentine’s Day in French).
According to Pierre Rousseau, the mayor of Saint-Valentin, this is the only town named after Saint-Valentin. The village started celebrating La Saint-Valentin in 1965 and in 1980 it decided to celebrate La Saint-Valentin year round. The town has much to offer from: “a Garden of Love” to a fancy restaurant and even wedding services!
Here is the program for 2018.
Valentines Day in France
Like most things, the French and the British feud over the origins of the modern holiday and who does it better. As a Political Sciences major and history lover, I know not to get involved in quarrels between the two countries. For this post, I will focus on France’s version of events.
In France there used to be a Valentine’s Day custom of ‘une loterie d’amour’ (drawing for). According to different websites, this involved single people calling out from their windows to pair off. A bonfire was lit at the end of the day and ladies were invited to burn images and hurl abuse at the lovers who left them during the day. The practice was eventually banned by the state.
If you want to learn “How To Do Valentine’s Day Like a French Girl” I suggest reading Vogue.
Today there is less and less consensus about the traditions of Valentine’s Day.
Some bloggers say that this holiday is primarily for “people in love.” Thus, it is uncommon for parents to give their children valentines or for children to give valentines to each other. For the most part, Le Saint-Valentin is celebrated in France in the same way as it is around the world: chocolate, food, cards, etc.
Closing Remarks:
While writing this article, I was speaking with an fellow Sciences Po exchange student from America and he commented on how there seems to be less fanfare surrounding Valentines day here than in the United States. I thought about it a little and then agreed with him. There does seems to be fewer advertisements than you would see in the United States this time of year. He thinks it is because the French take Valentine’s Day more seriously. I am not sure; maybe the United States monetizes love and Valentine’s Day more than other countries.
Editors Notes:
Some of the readings were in French so I apologize in advance if my translation is imperfect. For this reason, I avoided direct quotes in French.
