Traditionally, Valentine’s Day is celebrated with hearts and flowers, and love phrases. It is also a popular day for marriage proposals. All this began with the Lupercian festival in mid-February; a time to meet and shorten a potential spouse.
In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius outlawed the pagan holiday, but was clever enough to replace it with a similar celebration, one that was deemed more appropriate. He needed a holy ‘lover’ to replace the pagan deity Lupercus. The martyred bishop Valentine was chosen as the patron of the new feast.
Valentine had been beheaded for helping young Christian lovers marry against the wishes of the mad emperor Claudius. According to one story, prior to the execution, Valentine himself had fallen in love with his jailer’s daughter. He signed his final note for her “From Your Valentine”, a phrase that has endured through the centuries. (However, it is not known for sure what Saint Valentine’s name is, as there was more than one saint named Saint Valentine.)
Pope Gelasius did not get everything he wanted. The pagan festival died out, it is true, but I hoped that people would emulate the lives of the saints. Instead, they clung to the more romantic aspect of Valentine’s life. While it wasn’t immediately as popular as the most passionate pagan festival, eventually the concept of celebrating true love became known as Valentine’s Day. Young and old alike celebrate Valentine’s Day. It is traditional for schoolchildren to exchange Valentine’s cards. With the exception of Mother’s Day, more flowers and sweets are bought for this holiday than any other.
As can be seen in stores, starting on January 1, Valentine’s Day has become an industry unto itself. To celebrate Valentine’s Day at home, try preparing a special meal with great Valentine’s Day Desserts. Valentine’s treats can include cakes, cupcakes, or cookies decorated in the shape of a heart. Breakfast can be pancakes made in a special heart-shaped pancake pan or waffles made in a heart-shaped waffle iron. The possibilities are endless. You can use your imagination or go online and find many recipes. Magazines and newspapers also include Valentine’s Day recipes, as well as a host of cookbooks available to buy in stores or online or to borrow from your public library.
Enjoy Valentine’s Day your way and create your own special traditions. The children in the family will enjoy participating in the preparation and the festivities and memories will be created that will last a lifetime.
