Valentines Day: Then vs Now
The history of Valentine’s Day is not all positive and is very different from the modern interpretation of the holiday.
February 15, 2021
Valentines Day is widely celebrated and known for the idea of love and affection. Although it seems like a simple concept that has no need to be a special holiday, its origin traces back to much darker ideas. The modern concept is full of roses, chocolates, and loving atmospheres, but the holiday has had a mysterious and even gory history.
Valentines Day was originally a Roman festival that celebrated spring and fertility (Britannica). While this sounds similar to the modern celebration and relatively normal for the holiday, it is actually quite the opposite. The festival began with the sacrifice of animals. Then, using strips of animal skin, women would be slapped to bestow fertility.
Later, in an effort to Christianize the festival, Pope Gelasius declared February 14th as St. Valentines Day (History.com). After a few years, Father Valentine, a Roman Saint, faced issues with allowing soldiers to marry when they were banned from doing so during battles. He was then arrested and sentenced to death. On February 14th, in his cell, he wrote a note to his jailer’s daughter, who he had fallen in love with, signed “Your Valentine” before his execution. This sparked the modern tradition of people asking loved ones to be their valentine.
The holiday is now regarded as nonreligious and is celebrated by millions around the world in various ways. While the holiday’s history was not completely full of roses and chocolates, it set a tradition for celebrating love. Sending love does not necessarily have to be to a significant other; we can spread love to our friends, family, teachers, and other important people.
The following quotes are sweet messages to staff members from students who truly appreciate their work this year:
Dear Mrs. Ferris,
Thank you for everything that you do to make class exciting and engaging despite our virtual situation! I really, really appreciate the effort you put into all the google slides, nearpods, etc. Thank you so much for all your hard work!
– Sophie Zhang (11)
Dear Mrs. Ward,
Thank you for making chemistry so entertaining! It’s my favorite class.
– Shridhi (10)
Dear Mrs. Chavez,
Thanks for always taking time out of your personal life to help students!
– Shridhi (10)
Dear Mrs. Messick,
It’s really comforting to know that you are always there to help us out with whatever we need. I really appreciate that you are so patient with us and work hard to make our Culinary experience the best it can be. Thank you for being such a wonderful teacher! We love you!!
– Megan Chou (10)
This year has been especially difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So this Valentine’s Day, make sure to send some love and thank all of the YLHS staff members for all of their dedication and hard work.
Emma Perron • Feb 28, 2021 at 12:07 PM
I learned a lot in this article. I never knew how Valentines started and it is crazy to hear about the history and it started with animals. I love this article and you did a great job.
Anita Tun • Feb 28, 2021 at 9:55 AM
It is so interesting to see how this holiday evolved! Fascinating hearing the history behind this holiday and now it revolves around being around your loved ones!
danielle huizar • Feb 20, 2021 at 11:01 AM
I loved how you explained the history and development of Valentine’s Day and what it looks like today. It was great that you included nice letters to teachers to spread love and positivity. Great article!
Karina Shah • Feb 19, 2021 at 8:29 AM
This article was super interesting! I enjoyed reading about the traditional Valentines Day and a Valentines Day in a modern sense. I agree about how the history of a holiday is super important to how we celebrate.
Tiana Salisbury • Feb 16, 2021 at 9:43 PM
This is a really interesting article! I feel like many people look past how holidays have evolved from how they were celebrated in the past, so it is always fun to see how they were once celebrated.
Sarah Hailey Lemos • Feb 15, 2021 at 7:45 PM
Holidays’ histories are so interesting! I love reading about how they started. What is best about them too is how they all really start from a simple story.
Emily Eslao • Feb 15, 2021 at 7:10 PM
It’s always interesting to compare modern holidays with their origins, and I’ve always wondered how Valentine’s Day grew to become such a secular celebration. On a side note, the little messages included are super cute! Likewise I hope everyone enjoyed their Valentine’s Day.