Celebrated for hundreds of years, Valentine’s Day (also known as St. Valentine’s Day) marks a time in which people can celebrate love with gifts and candy.  However, the holiday’s mysterious origins are relatively unknown.  Speculated to have first begun during the third century, historians have different speculations on who the holiday is actually named after.

 “Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays,” said junior Marley Cooper. 

 Some have speculated that Valentine was a priest in Rome, who was executed by Emperor Claudius II after he continued to perform secret marriages following their ban.  However, others have speculated that the holiday is named after Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop who was also executed by Claudius.  Some also believe that this Valentine figure was killed due to his efforts in helping the Christians escape the brutal prisons of the Romans. Apparently, the first ever romantic letter (which would later be called a “valentine”) was sent from a man named Valentine, who fell in love with a young girl while he was in jail.  Yet, regardless of the actual origins, Valentine’s day has come to symbolize romance, likely inspired by some brave and romantic figure in history. 

Valentine’s day is celebrated in February.  Historians have disagreed on why this is, with some stating that it was the date of Valentine’s burial, and others stating that it was done in an attempt to christianize the paegan celebration of Lupercalia (a fertility festival dedicated to the god of architecture).  The date of St. Valentine’s day was eventually made to be February 14th, as it was widely believed in Europe and in France that this date was the beginning of the birds’ mating season.

           The first record of the holiday was made by poet Geoferry Chaucer in 1375.  Commonly associated with this holiday is also cupid, the cherub of love.

       “According to the Greek Archaic poets, Eros was a handsome immortal who played with the emotions of Gods and men, using golden arrows to incite love and leaden ones to sow aversion.  It wasn’t until the Hellenistic period that he began to be portrayed as the mischievous, chubby child he’d become on Valentine’s Day cards,” said editors from History.com. 

Valentine’s Day is a holiday celebrated not only in the United States, but also throughout the world, with some locations having distinct and unique traditions and history.  

Denmark has only been celebrating Valentine’s Day since the 1990s.  Despite this, they have an original gift that is distributed on the February holiday: pressed white flowers called snowdrops.  These flowers are meant to symbolize care and affection for loved ones.  

France, where Paris, one of the most romantic cities in the world, is located, has a rich history with Valentine’s Day.  It has been said that the first true “valentine” as we know it today was written there (it was written by Charles, Duke of Orlens, who sent the letter to his wife while imprisoned in 1415). 

In South Korea, Valentine’s Day is often celebrated from February to April.  On February 14th, women are expected to give men candy and gifts.  On March 14, White Day begins, where men are expected to do the same for somen.  Then, on April 14, Black Day is celebrated.

“It’s customary for singles to mourn their solitary status by eating dark bowls of jajangmyeon, or black bean-paste noodles,” said Marissa Wilman in the Huffpost.

Lastly, in Wales, love spoons are given out to celebrate.  These are wooden spoons that Welsh men first started craving in the seventeenth century, to give as a gift to their partners.  Additional places that celebrate this holiday include China, England, the Philippines, Italy, Brazil, and South Africa, among many others. 

 “I would say my favorite Valentine’s Day candy is chocolate,” said junior Madison Forman. 

Residents of Port Washington can do many things to celebrate the holiday.  There are many local restaurants that you could go out to dinner at.  There are also many shops in town that are selling Valentine’s Day related gifts.  You could also settle for the old-fashioned way, such as writing a card to show your affection for someone.  Whatever you may do to celebrate, make sure to eat lots of candy and have fun!