Cultural History Of Valentine's Day Episode Transcript PDF
Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14th each year that has evolved over centuries into a day dedicated to love, romance, and affection. Its cultural history stretches back to ancient times and has been influenced by various customs and traditions. The origins of Valentine's Day can be traced to ancient Rome, where the festival of Lupercalia was celebrated in mid-February. This pagan festival involved fertility rites and matchmaking, and it was believed to purify the city and promote health and fertility.
Around the same time, there were also early Christian martyrs named Valentine who became associated with love and romance. The connection between love and St. Valentine's Day became more prominent during the Middle Ages. In medieval England and France, it was believed that birds began mating on February 14th. This, coupled with the idea of courtly love prominent in that era, led to the association of Valentine's Day with romantic love.