When you start to think of Valentine’s Day, you may envision breathtaking flower bouquets, heart shaped balloons, a great deal of sweet treats and sentimental cards that are sure to make you blush. But have you ever stopped to think about how this tradition of celebrating love on e to be? Look no further than our list of interesting and fun Valentine’s Day facts to inform you and your loved ones on the real history about as to why so it special occasion regarding like are prominent.

While some of these little-known truths about the holiday ericans spend on the perfect V-Time present or when the very first Valentine’s content was sent, others are more unusual. In fact, some of the earlier customs associated with the holiday were not romantic at all, but instead focused on fertility and included sacrificing animals. (We know, the complete opposite of a lovey-dovey grand gesture.)

Regardless of how much or how little you already know about the most loving day of the year, these factoids are sure to come in handy as an ice breaker for your Valentine’s class and will definitely give you the upper hand at any Galentine’s Date trivia night.

step one. St. Valentine was not just one people.

Your ed after its patron saint, St. Valentine – but there is in fact certain distress nearby which St. Valentine the break theoretically honors. According to Record, you’ll find at least two men called Valentine you to could’ve passionate the holiday, and you to Valentine who was simply an excellent priest during the 3rd century Rome. Once the story happens, this Valentine defied Emperor Claudius II’s ban towards relationship (the guy think it distracted younger soldiers), dishonestly marrying couples on soul regarding like up until he was caught and sentenced so you can demise.

Several other legend signifies that Valentine are killed to possess wanting to let Christians avoid jail inside the Rome, and this he in reality sent the original “valentine” content himself if you are imprisoned, creating a letter finalized “Out of your Valentine.”

2. Valentine’s day has its origins for the an old Pagan festival.

While some historians believe that Valentine’s day honors the fresh death of St. Valentine toward February fourteen, anybody else believe that the holiday in fact has its root for the good Pagan fertility event entitled “Lupercalia,” which was popular to your February fifteen in ancient Rome. Serious about Faunus, the fresh new Roman goodness regarding farming, and you can Roman creators Romulus and you may Remus, the afternoon is actually distinguished from the compromising dogs and you may smacking people which have creature covers, a practice that has been believed to remind virility.

step three. Throughout the 1300s, they technically turned into a vacation for the like.

At the conclusion of the fifth millennium, Roman Pope Gelasius commercially declared the fresh new day of February fourteen “St. Valentine’s day.” It wasn’t until until the Dark ages, although, that the escape became in the like and relationship, a community that first started regarding the popular religion when you look at the France and you may England one wild birds come their mating year to the February fourteen.

4. Cupid has its roots into the Greek mythology.

He could be the latest pleasant cherub that appears toward Romantic days celebration cards, tend to illustrated having a ribbon and you can arrow – but exactly how did Cupid getting a familiar icon out of Valentine’s? Based on Date, the fresh new shape can actually feel traced right to 700 B.C., into the Greek god regarding like named Eros, who had been actually a good looking, immortal guy into intimidating ability to make people fall in love. It was not until the next millennium BCE your Romans accompanied Eros into image of a cute young boy having a great bow and you will arrow, naming your “Cupid.” By turn of your own nineteenth 100 years, Cupid has been around since about Valentine’s day on account of his like-complimentary vitality.