Valentine’s Day, a Day to Love

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Valentine’s Day is a wonderful day to express love to those around us. But did you know that it started out as a pagan fertility festival? It took place each year on February 15. Then the Roman emperor Claudius II killed two Christian martyrs—each named Valentinus—on February 14 of different years in the third century. Later the pope honored those martyrs with a holy day, or holiday, called Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine.

Links to Romantic Love

So how did such a holy day become linked to romantic love? According to Danielle Bernock of Christianity Today, in 1375 Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the poem “Parliament of Foules” (Parliament of Fowls), linking the beginning of birds’ mating season (mid-February) with courtly romantic traditions. Chaucer wrote, “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.” In those early centuries, Valentine’s Day became a time to express affection through flowers, candy, and romantic cards (valentines).

Different Ways of Expressing Love

Since that time, Valentine’s Day has grown to mean different things to many different people. But it remains an important day for kind expressions of love to those around us, whether they be romantic partners, family members, or friends.

Christian Overtones

Valentine’s Day has Christian overtones too. In New Testament times, Jesus said that our expressions of love would demonstrate to others that we are his true disciples:

“A new commandment I give unto you; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34–35).

Likewise, the Apostle Paul defined true love this way:

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up; doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4–7).

So, whatever way we choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day, it’s all about sharing true love.

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