Every year, Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14th — but where does this date really come from, between the Lupercalia of ancient Rome and the cupid-adorned cards of the 18th century? The tradition has its roots in a Roman purification rite, was later Christianized around a 3rd-century priest named Valentine, and then grew richer with symbols (Cupid, birds, little crosses) before becoming the lovers' holiday we know today. Here is how this story took shape, step by step.
Where Does the February 14th Date Come From?
The Lupercalia of Ancient Rome
The date of Valentine's Day comes to us from ancient Rome. Every February 15th, the Romans celebrated the Lupercalia, dedicated to Faunus Lupercus, the god of fertility, shepherds, and flocks — a pagan celebration that followed a three-part purification ritual.
- On the slope of the Palatine Hill, in the Lupercal cave (the very one where the she-wolf suckled Remus and Romulus), priests would sacrifice a goat, then smear young noblemen with the sacrificial blood — a symbol of purification for shepherds.
- The priests and these young men then took part in the "race of the Luperci": covered in the skins of the sacrificed animals, they ran through the streets, whipping passers-by with strips cut from those same skins. Women would try to put themselves in their path, hoping for happy pregnancies and painless childbirths.
- The celebrations ended with a great banquet, where the young men drew lots for their companion for the evening — sometimes the starting point of lasting couples and marriages.
The Christianization of the Date
By the late 5th century, the Lupercalia were still being celebrated in a Rome that had largely converted to Christianity. Pope Gelasius I sent a letter to Senator Andromachus, who remained attached to this tradition, in which he mocked the superstitions of this pagan rite and pointed out that observing it had not prevented the epidemics of past years. Rather than banning the Lupercalia outright, he chose instead to commemorate Saint Valentine, who would go on to become the patron saint of lovers.
What Do We Know About Saint Valentine?
On February 14th, we celebrate not one saint, but seven. The first one listed in the martyrologies for this date is a Roman priest from the 3rd century, under the reign of the pagan emperor Claudius II Gothicus (268-270). Claudius banned marriage for men of fighting age, in order to preserve their warrior strength. Thanks to the priest Valentine, lovers nevertheless secretly received the blessing of marriage — until he was denounced, exposed, and imprisoned.
During his imprisonment, Valentine came to know Augustine, his jailer's daughter, who was blind according to legend; he is said to have restored her sight. In gratitude, she took care of him, and he sent her a message before his execution. Valentine was buried on the Via Flaminia, where a cult grew up around him, and from the 15th century onward he was regarded as the patron saint of lovers. A second Valentine, bishop of Terni, who met the same fate, is often confused with the first — with the five other namesakes in the martyrology likewise wrongly linked to them both, through a confusion dating back to the Middle Ages. The earliest depiction of Saint Valentine appears in the 15th century, in "The Nuremberg Chronicle"; its Latin edition marks his feast on March 16th, while the later German edition places it on February 14th.
How Did the Lovers' Holiday Come to Be?
The link between Valentine's Day and lovers is relatively recent: it dates back to the Middle Ages. At that time, people still kept up a kind of love lottery inherited from the Lupercalia — on February 14th, young men would draw the name of their companion by lot and pin it to their sleeve for the whole festive week. Later, the title of "Valentine" was given to the men chosen by young women to accompany them to the Feast of the Brandons, the first Sunday of Lent, when people would walk through the countryside carrying torches of braided straw to drive away pests and hope for a good harvest.
The "Valentine" originally referred to the messages of friendship or love exchanged on that day — a practice born in England in the 14th century before spreading to other countries. In 1496, Valentine's Day was officially established as the lovers' holiday; from the 18th century onward, the first cards adorned with cupids and little hearts went on sale, and a century later, printed Valentines carrying poems and passionate messages were circulating all across Europe.
The Symbols of Valentine's Day
Cupid and Psyche
In Roman mythology, Cupid is what Eros is in Greek mythology: he represents amorous desire (his name comes from the Latin cupido, "desire"). He appears in the form of a child carrying a bow and quiver, the faithful companion of his mother Venus, goddess of love and beauty. He is also famous for his role in the legend of Psyche, a princess of such dazzling beauty that the people of her father's kingdom neglected Venus in her favor. Venus, insulted, ordered Cupid to make Psyche fall passionately in love with the most hideous of creatures — but the young god fell in love with her himself instead. He married her in secret, forbidding her to try to discover his appearance; egged on by her sisters, Psyche eventually found him asleep, which woke him and made him flee. After overcoming a series of trials imposed by Venus, Psyche was granted immortality by Jupiter and joined Cupid on Mount Olympus; from their union was born a daughter, Voluptas.
Birds, Messengers of Love
For many birds, mid-February marks the start of mating season. In the Middle Ages, they thus became messengers of spring: young women turned to them to read the signs of their romantic future. A robin foretold a union with a sailor, a goldfinch a match with a wealthy man, and a sparrow a happy marriage with a man of modest means.
The Little Crosses
The tradition of signing a note with little crosses symbolizing kisses dates back to the early days of Catholicism and refers to the martyr Saint Andrew, crucified on an X-shaped cross. In the Middle Ages, those who could not write also signed their documents with a cross, which they would then kiss in front of a witness as a pledge of good faith — a custom that, over time, shifted from the cross itself to the kiss.
An ancient history, woven from Roman rites, Christian legend, and symbols gathered over the centuries — far removed from the mere commercial postcard it's sometimes accused of being. To discover how this same holiday is celebrated today in every corner of the world, head over to our round-up of Valentine's Day around the world.
