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Bibliophile’s Collective Tuesday – The True Origins of Valentine’s Day

February 15, 2022
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We are all more than familiar with the modern Valentine’s Day and it’s commercialism, but do you know the various origins of the day?

The first celebration was actually a Roman festival called Lupercalia that welcomed spring. The men sacrificed a goat and a dog, then whipped women with the hides of the animals they had just slain. Certainly, something, I think we are all glad did not continue!

The ancient Romans may also be responsible for the name of our modern day of love. Emperor Claudius II executed two men — both named Valentine — on Feb. 14 of different years in the 3rd century A.D.

Pope Gelasius Ist muddled things in the 5th century by combining St. Valentine’s Day with Lupercalia to expel the pagan rituals. Also around the same time, the Normans celebrated Galatin’s Day. Galatin meant “lover of women.”

A drawing depicts the death of St. Valentine.

William Shakespeare and Chaucer helped romanticize Valentine’s Day in their works, and it gained popularity throughout Britain and the rest of Europe. Handmade paper cards became the tokens-du-jour in the Middle Ages.

Eventually, the tradition made its way to the New World. The industrial revolution ushered in factory-made cards in the 19th century. And in 1913, Hallmark Cards of Kansas City, Mo., began mass producing valentines. February has not been the same since.

So, not the fluffy begins we may all think of the day of love.

Please celebrate the week with a great romance all available on the online purchase site of your choice.

Show the Love Every Day Not Just Valentines…

February 14, 2014
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Let’s show the love today and remember not only those nearest and dearest but also that this is the Year of  Reading Women. Grab a novel from your favorite female author.

readwomen2014

http://publishingperspectives.com/2014/01/is-2014-the-year-of-reading-women/

Although, historians are not positive on the exact origins of Valentine’s Day, the Catholic church did honor the martyrdom of St. Valentine. He was jailed for performing marriages in spite of a ban made by Claudius, the Roman Emperor. Two men called Valentine were executed on 14th February in different years of  3rd century A.D.

Valentine

There is also evidence that in Roman times, men would literally hit on women during the feast of Lupercalia, celebrated from 13th to 15th February. A goat or dog would be sacrificed and then the hides were used to whip the women. The women believed this practice would make them fertile. At the same time young men would draw names of women out of a jar and couple with them for the duration of the festival, some would last longer depending on the love match. In the 5th century, Pope Gelasius, combined St. Valentine’s Day with Lupercalia in an attempt to expel the pagan ritual. To add more confusion the Norman’s celebrated Galatin’s Day. The name Galatin means ‘lover of women’ and thus was muddled into the ‘loving day’ too.

William Shakespeare and Chaucer further romanticized the festival in their writing. Hand-made paper cards became love tokens – du-jour – in the Middle Ages and so began the multi-million industry for cards, flowers and chocolates.

For good measure – Sonnet 18:

sonnet-18

Today’s prompt should, of course, have a love theme.

Choose one line from Sonnet 18 and create your own love poem from it. Feel free to share.

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