Valentine’s Day February 14th has cruel pagan origins associated with the Roman springtime fertility festival called Lupercalia, worshiping Faunus, the god of agriculture, but also the founders of Rome, Romululs and Remus.
At the close of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius declared Lupercalia unholy. He replaced it with the 14th February St Valentine’s Day, honouring three Christian martyrs, named Valentine or Valentinus. Valentine of Rome was a third century priest, killed for secretly performing marriage ceremonies for Roman soldiers, Roman Emporer Claudius 11 excluded from marriage.
Another Valentine was martyred for helping Christian prisoners escape. One prisoner is said to have invented the first valentine card just before his death, by sending his jailor’s daughter a love letter signed “from your Valentine.”
It was the Victorians who began the tradition of not signing Valentine’s cards because they thought it unlucky. Valentine’s Day is associated with romance and love because birds start pairing off and looking for a mate. According to ornithomancy, divination by birds, you’ll marry into wealth if you see a goldfinch, and marry someone poor if you see a sparrow on Valentine’s Day. Seeing a flock of doves is an omen of a long and happy marriage.
