Valentine’s Day is celebrated annually in many countries around the world, and is highly popular in the United States. The holiday centers around love and romance, celebrating the love between partners, who often use the day as an opportunity to do something special for one another to reaffirm their feelings. Check out our previous articles on Valentine’s Day for more information on its customs and history.
It may surprise people to discover that Valentine’s Day did not begin as a holiday of great romance. Instead, its first observers only knew February 14 as Saint Valentine’s Day: the feast day of Saint Valentine, who in the Catholic faith lived and preached in the third century AD. Valentine is the patron saint of love, engaged couples, and happy marriages, among several other things.
The English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, best known for writing the 1387-1400 collection of poetry and prose The Canterbury Tales, widely credited with popularizing the connection between Valentine’s Day and happy lovers with his 1375 poem “The Parliament of Fowls.” Written to celebrate the marriage of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia, the poem references the common English belief at the time that February 14 was also the day that birds began their mating season, likening it to human lovers courting:
“For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day
When every bird cometh there to choose his mate.”
As you can see today from the displays of red and pink decorations, fancy chocolates and flowers, and all manner of other tempting treats offered for lovers to exchange on the big day, the idea of looking for new love and fostering the love one has already found has endured through centuries!
If you have any questions or concerns, always feel free to contact info@gravityintprog.com. Stay safe and healthy, and Happy Valentine’s Day!
