The History of Valentine’s Day Isn’t So Sweet

Ah, Valentine's Day—a day of roses, chocolate hearts, romantic dinners and sappy exchanges of “I love you, no I love you more…” However, while Valentine’s Day is known as the day of amore across the globe, its origins are actually much darker and sinister than Hallmark would like you to believe…

No one knows the exact origins of this romantic holiday, but many historians suspect that the first celebrations took place in Ancient Rome.

Now, the Ancient Romans were known to have some strange traditions—they used to use cobwebs to heal head wounds, they believed that kissing she-mules would stop hiccups and sneezing and they ate with, and fed, their dead—but Valentine’s Day was one of their more barbaric ones. Every February 13^th-15^th, Roman men would feast on a goat or a dog, and then whip their women with the hides of the animals slain.

Horrific, right? Apparently, the Roman women would actually line up for this assault, for they believed it would “make them more fertile.”

Once the feasting and whipping were done, a matchmaking lottery would commence. The men would draw the names of women from a jar and be “coupled” with them for the duration of the festival—or longer, if the match was right.

So, how did this ritual become known as “Valentine’s Day?”  Emperor Claudius II executed two men—both named Valentine—on February 14^th of two different years. Their martyrdom was honored by the Catholic Church with the celebration of “Valentine’s Day.” 

As the years passed, however, Valentine’s Day became less violent and sweeter, until it eventually evolved into the loving holiday we know it as today.

For more Valentine’s Day facts, visit http://voices.yahoo.com/top-10-valentines-day-fun-facts-12004075.html. (We promise, these ones are much more lighthearted than the story of the day’s origin…)