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The Dark and Bloody Origins of Valentine's Day

Published February 14, 2026, 09:26
The Dark and Bloody Origins of Valentine's Day

Today's Valentine's Day has established itself as a celebration of love, romance, and devotion. However, the roots of this modern holiday are actually dark, bloody, and somewhat confusing. While the exact origin of the holiday has not been definitively determined, a starting point is ancient Rome, according to NPR. There, from February 13 to 15, the Romans celebrated the Lupercalia, a festival that combined fertility rituals and violent customs. During it, men sacrificed a goat and a dog and then used the skins of the animals to whip women. According to the beliefs of the time, this practice was believed to enhance fertility. Participants were often intoxicated, while women lined up to receive the blows, believing that this would increase their chances of conception. The festival also included a kind of lottery to find a partner: young men drew names of women from a pot, and the couples remained together during the celebrations or even longer if the relationship developed. The Executions of Two Valentines The ancient Romans may also be responsible for the name of the modern holiday of love. Emperor Claudius II is said to have executed two men named Valentine on February 14 in different years, in the 3rd century AD. The Catholic Church later honored their martyrdom by establishing St. Valentine's Day. In the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I confused matters by combining St. Valentine's Day with the Lupercalia to eliminate pagan rituals. The new version of the holiday was a more tamed, theatrical representation of the old rituals, but still retained the symbolism of fertility and love. Around the same time, the Normans celebrated Galatin's Day, a word meaning "lovers of women." The acoustic similarity of the name likely contributed to the confusion and its association with St. Valentine. Shakespeare and Hallmark Over the centuries, the holiday became more romantic. Poets and writers, such as Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare, contributed to its romanticization, increasing its popularity in Britain and throughout Europe. During the Middle Ages, handmade paper cards became the dominant symbol of the day. The tradition was later transferred to America, when the Industrial Revolution allowed for the mass production of cards in the 19th century. In 1913, Hallmark Cards in Kansas City began mass-producing cards for Valentine's Day. Since then, February has not been the same.

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