Lupercalia
Valentine's Day
Ah, Valentine's Day. Some call it the holiday of love & romance. Others a Hallmark holiday made up to profit from selling more cards. If you ask my kids it's really about Cherub angels helping people find love. All of these things got me wondering where Valentine's Day originated from.
From a religious standpoint Valentine's Day is a Feast Day honoring St. Valentine. The legend is said Roman Emperor Claudia was in need of soldiers for battle. Many men refused to join, not wanting to leave their families. So the Emperor outlawed all engagements and marriages in hopes to rebuild his army.
Years later it would be a Christian Priest named Valentine who would ignore this law and hold secret wedding ceremonies. Eventually Father Valentine would be found performing one of his ceremonies by the Emperor's soldiers and was jailed for his crimes. Young couples showed their support by gathering outside of the jail to pray.
While awaiting his sentence to death one of the jailers asked the Father to read to his blind daughter, Julia. During one of their visits Valentine prayed for Julia's sight and a bright light appeared & Julia was healed. Soon, Julia & Valentine would fall in love.
On the eve of Valentine's death he sent Julia a letter and signed it "Your Valentine". On February 14 270 AD his sentence was carried out. St. Valentine is known as a patron saint of love, young people & happy marriages. Countries all over the world celebrate Valentine's commitment to love.
Lupercalia
Like most holidays that have been "Christianized" from pagen celebrations, Valentine's Day isn't very different. Originally known as Lupercalia, an ancient pagen festival held in Rome on February 15th dedicated to Faunus the God of Fertility.
Welcoming the coming of Spring. This celebration was sexually charged with fertility rites, orgies & fornication in hopes to ward off evil spirits & infertility. Lupercalia was also linked to animal sacrifices, specifically goats for fertility and dogs for purification. Goats' hide would be stripped and dipped into the sacrificial blood and gently slapped on women and crops in hopes to become more fertile in the coming year. Young women and men would be paired for the year, some couples would go on to marry.
📷: Georgia de Lotz