History of Valentine’s Day

By Abigail Lashmar

This holiday, Valentine's day, occurs every February 14th. It is usually seen as a time to celebrate love. This is generally romantic, although love is present in countless aspects of our life. It's equally important to be consciously grateful for every form of this emotion daily! This holiday as we know it in Canada and the United States, is most often celebrated with flowers, chocolates, and other small gifts. The holiday has acquired both some Christian and ancient Roman traditions over time. There are countless theories as to why the holiday may have come to be; however, most of them are heavily speculated, and there are not many distinct facts that lead to knowing why we came to know this popular holiday. February has been seen for a long time as a month of love and romance. Therefore it can be seen that this celebration is appropriately celebrated in this month. During the middle ages, countries such as England and France believed mid-February to be the beginning of the bird's mating season. This further suggested that February 14th should be a day for all to celebrate the many joys of love! Cupid is one of the most significant references to valentine's day. The word cupid itself is actually defined as meaning "desire." The Roman God Cupid, also known as Eros, was in fact, the God of love! Therefore it is understandable he is so closely related to this annual holiday. I hope everyone has a great Valentine's day. I hope everyone can take the time to acknowledge the things you're grateful for in your life today! Remember, you are loved and appreciated, and you make this world much better by being a part of it!