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Where Does Valentine's Day Come From?
By Dawn Greenleaf
Valentine's Day is for lovers. We all know that. But where did the tradition of celebrating Valentine's Day come from anyway?
According to AmericanCatholic.org, there are many theories of the day's origin, but the holiday stems from both Roman and Catholic roots.
One theory of the roots of St. Valentine's Day lies in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, which was celebrated on February 15, according to AmericanCatholic. org. The day had been dedicated to the god Lupercus and was called, "Lupercalia." For 800 years, on that day, a young man would draw the name of a young woman in a lottery and would then keep the woman as a sexual companion for the year.
The Catholic Church decided in 1969 to drop St. Valentine's Day from the Roman calendar of Catholic feasts because of the confusion over its origin, according to the Web site.
Many Valentine's Day resources are readily available on the Internet. Godiva.com offers chocolate along with a special drawing, while other sites offer love poetry by Douglas de Hundesham and claim that the poetry will express your love in words as you never before believed possible.
Various Valentine's links have been established on the Internet. AOL, for example, will link you to gift suggestions, love tests, and things to avoid on the holiday. Women. com also offers a Valentine's Day guide.
No matter how you decide to celebrate (or not to celebrate) Cupid's Day, you will be sure to see evidence of Valentine's Day all around you. It may appear to you in the major television network programming chosen for this week or the many decorations of red hearts around town, like one made of red lights that can be seen in a house window at night.
The Times wishes you a Happy Valentine's Day!
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