As Americans, we celebrate diversity and multiculturalism. However we have such an abundance of holidays that we have sometimes become accustomed to celebrating them without fully understanding their origins or purpose.  Our basic knowledge of holidays outside of our home culture often started in elementary school.  Each holiday came with a theme and all the ensuing projects, complete with construction paper and glue. Often our feeble understanding of many holidays was based upon TV versions of history, advertising, and stores, displaying clever marketing to increase sales. Sometimes we were blissfully unaware that the true origins and purpose of certain holidays may have been to represent a harsh reality or occurrence in history. In any case, our modern version of holidays gives us an excuse to celebrate and do something special with loved ones and companions.

Valentine’s day is a day for celebrating love and eating sweets.  This is the simplified version of the holiday that many of us were taught In elementary school.  We also had a vague idea of an angel named cupid, who shot people with an invisible arrow, thereby causing those who were struck by his arrow to fall in love.  During most of our formative years we made colorful cards and paper hearts to give to classmates on this holiday.  Sometimes those cards were also accompanied with some candy or chocolate. During adolescence, if we were brave enough, we would give a card or a small gift to someone we liked romantically. Adults usually went out for a romantic evening complete with flowers and a gift or chocolates.

Although we have consistently celebrated Valentine’s day every year with good cheer and enthusiasm, there are few people who could tell you where the holiday originated. Apparently the holiday is quite a conglomeration of  different periods in history and varying purposes. According to the video below, the history of the holiday started with a Roman fertility festival called Lupercalia and was later renamed and given an official date by the Church in honor of a crucified Saint. Towards the end of the middle ages the holiday represented people in love, and birds in mating season. In the 1700’s the focus of the holiday was on giving greeting cards. Around 100 years later, the focus changed to exchanging cards with a romantic focus.  After that the manufacture and consumer demand of cards and chocolate blossomed.  People today generally view this as a romantic day and an opportunity to show a loved one that he/she is special. I don’t know where the chocolate came into it, but that is my favorite part.

History video: Bet You Didn’t Know: Valentine’s Day. 14 February 2015.