How did Valentine's Day originally start? There are many mysteries surrounding the origins of Valentine’s Day. People debate when exactly it started and who it began with. The most common origin story is the legend of St. Valentine. St. Valentine is believed to have been a priest during the third century in Rome.

After Emperor Claudius II declared single men made better soldiers, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine went behind Emperor Claudius’ law and performed marriages in secret. When this was discovered, Claudius had him put to death. Other stories suggested that Valentine helped Christians to escape Roman prisons. In this story, Valentine was imprisoned when he sent the very first valentine’s letter to a young lady.

It is believed he sent it to his jailor’s daughter. Before his death, it is believed he wrote her another letter and signed it, “From your Valentine.” By the time the middle ages came around, St. Valentine had become a popular saint. Although we do not know if these stories are true, St. Valentine is still viewed as a romantic saint who helped to start Valentine’s Day.Valentine's Day did not come to be celebrated as a day of romance until about the 14th century. Although there were several Christian martyrs named Valentine, the day may have taken its name from a priest who was martyred about 270 ce by the emperor Claudius II Gothicus.

I have always been curious about the role of cupids, red roses, heart shapes, chocolates and Valentine’s cards play in Valentine’s Day. I found out that the Cupid’s bow and arrow aren't just for show. According to Roman mythology, Cupid was a god born of Mercury, the messenger of the gods, and Venus, the goddess of love. Armed with a bow and arrow he dealt in love and passion, forcing it upon his victims with the prick of an arrow. Shooting his golden arrows at both parties, he makes them care for each other and fall in love. For this reason, Cupid is considered to be the main representation of Valentine's Day.

Giving red roses may be an obvious romantic gesture today, but it wasn't until the late 17th century that giving flowers became a popular custom. In fact, the practice can be traced back to when King Charles II of Sweden learned the "language of flowers" — which pair’s different flowers with specific meanings — on a trip to Persia, and subsequently introduced the tradition to Europe. The act of giving flowers then became a popular trend during the Victorian Era — including on Valentine's Day — with red roses symbolizing deep love.

The heart shape is recognized the world over as a symbol of romantic love and affection. The first heart-shaped box of chocolates was introduced in 1861.It was created by Richard Cadbury, son of Cadbury founder John Cadbury, who started packaging chocolates in fancy boxes to increase sales. He introduced the first heart-shaped box of chocolates for V-Day in 1861, and today, more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are sold each year. That's 58 million pounds of chocolate!

Valentine’s cards became popular in the 19th century. It started off with handwritten cards and then mass-produced cards became popular. They began making the cards in factor due to the high demand. The cards were made with lace and ribbon. There are 144 million greeting cards are sent every year.

Whatever Valentine’s Day is to you, it is for you to decide. Personally, I think it’s a great opportunity to celebrate love, whether it is for family, friends, lovers, or neighbors.

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Bio

Simie Seaman, enthusiast amateur photographer, history buff and collector of beautiful things. Simie is President of the Wilmington Historical Society.

email:simieseaman368@gmail.com

310-835-8177