Valentine’s Day has always been about love – and gifts!
Growing up, I remember how all the girls (including me) would wait with bated breath for Valentine’s Week. From roses on Rose Day and chocolates on Chocoloate Day to a special gift on 14th Feb, it would be the best week of the year!
It was only recently, while doing my research on this ‘holiday,’ that I stumbled upon the dark truth about Valentine’s Day. TBH, it was specifically about its dark origins and how the holiday evolved into what it is today.
Interesting right? Valentine’s Day doesn’t really have a sweet origin story. Instead, it’s dark, backed by credible sources, and somewhat a merger of several holidays. And today, I’m going to discuss how this holiday has evolved across centuries to become what it is today.
Stay tuned.
The Dark Truth About Valentine’s Day: The Roman Origins
It is difficult to pinpoint the exact date when Valentine’s Day originated. But as per sources scattered all over the internet, one good place to begin is definitely ancient Rome.
Needless to say, the Romans celebrated this day somewhat violently.
From 13th February to 15th February, Roman residents celebrated ‘the Feast of Lupercalia.’
During the celebrations, men would sacrifice a dog and a goat. And it gets really weird after that – then men would whip women with animal hides, specifically the hides of animals they had killed.
In this context, Noel Lenski, a professor of religious studies at Yale University, told NPR magazine way back in 2011, “The Roman romantics were drunk. They were naked.” He also said, “Young women would line up for the men to hit them.”
Young women would actually do this because they believed that this act would give them fertility.
Moreover, this brutal event also included a matchmaking lottery for young men to draw names of women from a jar.
Then, during the festival, the two would be ‘coupled up.’ If the match seemed to work out, then this ‘coupling’ would continue to last longer.
In addition, it is also possible that ancient Romans are actually responsible for naming the Day of Love for us. How?
TBH, Emperor Claudius II had executed two different men – both called Valentine – on 14th February of two different years in the 3rd Century. The Catholic Church then honored their martyrdom with Valentine’s Day celebrations.
The Holiday Evolved, As It Spread:
In the 5th Century, Pope Gelasius I combined the Feast of Lupercalia with St. Valentine’s Day to bid adieu to the Pagan traditions, and muddled things altogether. The result? The festival evolved into a theatrical adaptation of what it used to be centuries ago.
In this context, Lenski told NPR in 2011, “It was a little more of a drunken revel, but the Christians put clothes back on it. That didn’t stop it from being a day of fertility and love.”
During this time, Galatin’s Day was also celebrated by the Normans. Since the word ‘Galatin’ means ‘lover of women,’ people at the time started confusing it with Valentine’s Day at one point, partly because both sound similar.
Naturally, with years passing by, the holiday started gaining popularity, with a much sweeter – not to mention mellower – interpretation and meaning. In addition, historically famous literary figures like Shakespeare and Chaucer romanticized the day in their work.
This, in turn, made Valentine’s Day popular across Britain and other European countries. In fact, the Middle Ages witnessed handmade cards as tokens of love exchanged on Valentine’s Day.
Eventually, the Day of Love travelled to the New World – the Land of Liberty, America. The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century welcomed factory-made cards for the first time.
By 1913, Hallmark Cards was based in Kansas City, and it started mass-producing cards for Valentine’s Day. February has never been the same since then.
Valentine’s Day 2026: How We Celebrate Today?
Today, Valentine’s Day is a major business with rapid commercialization spoiling the Day of Love for many.
In this context, Helen Fisher, a sociology professor at Rutgers University, told NPR magazine, “We have only ourselves to blame.”
In addition, she also said, “This isn’t a command performance. If people didn’t want to buy Hallmark cards, they would not be bought, and Hallmark would go out of business.”
And I can’t agree more with her. Of course, if my partner didn’t give me a Valentine’s Day gift and do something special for me on that day, I would be miffed to say the least. Similarly, he expects me to do something for him.
Now, if all couples and even singles with potential connections spend money to celebrate the day, then, needless to say, we are all part of the problem.
The supply of commercialization only takes place because there is surging demand in the first place – and this is true for every holiday, not just Valentine’s Day.
As per data published by the National Retail Federation, expenditures on Valentine’s Day reached a solid $25.8 billion, or $185.81/person on average, in 2024.
As a result, people and institutions continue to celebrate Valentine’s Day in different ways.
While many spend huge amounts of money buying flowers and jewellery for their partners, singles celebrate self-love with expensive dining and other tokens.
So, when you are busy admiring beautiful roses on Valentine’s Day, remember the popular red color associated with the festivities of the day might actually represent bloody sacrifices made centuries ago.
