Valentine’s Day is the day when lovers express their love for each other or celebrate their love. This day has been around since before the 5th century. Real Simple says “St. Valentine wore a ring with a Cupid on it, it’s the symbol of love.”
Over time Valentine’s Day has evolved in numerous ways. For example, in the Middle Ages, people started to give out handmade cards with love notes inside. National Geographic kids says “Today billions of dollars are spent on Valentine’s Day cards and gifts each year around the world”. Britannica states “This holiday goes all the way back to the Roman festival of Lupercalia, held in February. The Festival celebrated the coming of spring and was forbidden by Pope Gelasius and replaced the festival with St.Valentine’s day. The day didn’t become about romance until the 14th century. Britannica also says that “St.Valentine defied the emperor’s orders and secretly married couples to spare husbands from war. That’s why the feast day is associated with love”.
Valentine’s Day very vaguely reflects the true origin. The messages given, also known as Valentines, started to become popular in the 1500s and by the 1700s the cards were printed. People started to commonly depict Cupid, the Roman god of love, along with hearts. Which is why Cupid is associated with love. The most popular gifts that are given are candy and red roses, which symbolize beauty and love.
In multiple countries such as the US, Canada, Britain, Australia, and the Philippines, the day is celebrated as a wedding anniversary and weddings which are not uncommon celebrations on that date. Traditions of this holiday started to grow into giving cards to friends along with classmates at schools and relatives. Valentine’s Day has become one of the top ten holidays celebrated in the world, reminding people that even despite massive differences across countries, everyone experiences the same sense of love.