Valentine s Day: A Traditional Celebration or a Commercial Affair?

Today, Valentine’s Day is celebrated (almost) everywhere in the world as a day for lovers. But how did it evolve into the holiday we know today? Let’s dive into its many origins.

Valentine’s Day: A Tradition Built Over Centuries

As we mentioned in our article about La Chandeleur, Pope Gelasius I ended the pagan festival of Lupercalia by establishing La Chandeleur, the Festival of Lights, and also... Valentine’s Day, originally a celebration of fertility. However, some historians trace the origins of Valentine’s Day to a later period.

In the Middle Ages, February 14 marked the beginning of the mating season, supposedly the day when birds would pair up. Inspired by this belief, poet Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to mention Valentine’s Day in his poem Parliament of Fowls.

Additionally, at the end of the 15th century, Pope Alexander VI honored the martyr Valentine of Terni, making him the patron saint of lovers, celebrated on February 14. Legend has it that this priest secretly performed Christian weddings in the 3rd century and was executed on February 14.

Valentine's Day Gifts: Sweet Words, Chocolate, and Roses

The first Valentine’s card was written by the Duke of Orléans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415. However, it wasn’t until the rise of the printing press and the late 19th century that sending Valentine’s cards became widespread.

Around the same time, chocolate made its debut, and Richard Cadbury was the first to market Valentine's candy boxes in 1868, linking chocolate with romance. Meanwhile, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu introduced the language of flowers to Europe, with the red rose—Aphrodite’s favorite flower—symbolizing passion and fiery love.

Nowadays, many French couples like a romantic dinner, a handwritten love note, or small thoughtful gestures. Unlike in the U.S., where Valentine’s Day is also celebrated among friends and family, in France, it remains a day dedicated strictly to lovers.

Fun fact - Travel in France

There’s a village in the Berry region of France called... Saint-Valentin! You can even stroll through its charming Parc des Amoureux. Happy Valentine’s Day—or as we say in French, Joyeuse Saint-Valentin!