Valentine's Day – Where does the day of lovers come from?
Heart-shaped sweets, red roses, and rosy greeting cards—these are the typical gifts most of us think of when we think of Valentine's Day. However, the “day of love” is also celebrated in other societies and cultures. Reason enough to take a look at how this special “holiday” came about, where its name comes from, and what it has to do with grand emotions.
Where does Valentine's Day come from?
Many people today believe that Valentine's Day is just an invention of flower sellers and chocolate manufacturers to drive consumption. We took a closer look at the matter:
Who was Saint Valentine?
Let's begin our search for the inventors of Valentine's Day by clarifying the name. According to legend, it is named after Bishop Valentine, who married lovers in the third century AD. It is said that he was a passionate gardener and gave flowers from his garden to newlyweds.
Bishop Valentine is also said to have married soldiers who were not allowed to marry according to the emperor's orders. Because this ran counter to Emperor Claudius' military expansion plans, Valentine was beheaded on February 14, 269, by imperial order.
Where does the custom of giving flowers come from?
If this really happened, the gesture of giving flowers takes on a much more far-reaching meaning: it would not only be a symbol of personal freedom of choice in choosing a partner, but also a sign of peaceful protest.
According to another version, the custom became established because the Catholic Church linked Valentine's death to a holiday from ancient Rome. The holiday in question—February 14—was dedicated to Juno, the goddess of marriage and childbirth. It is said to have been customary to honor women on this day and give them flowers.
Valentine's Day: A wonderful occasion to show affection
We will probably never be able to definitively answer the question of where Valentine's Day really comes from and why we celebrate it all over the world today. But the fact that the whole world celebrates Valentine's Day, even though its origins cannot be clarified beyond doubt, can ultimately be interpreted in a completely different way: We humans simply do not need reasonable reasons to celebrate love.
Valentine's Day in numbers: 10 exciting facts about the day of love
The Guinness Book of Records contains remarkable entries about the legendary date of February 14, which is accepted worldwide as a day to commemorate romantic love. However, the image of romantic love expressed in these records is somewhat questionable. Here are the most curious facts about Valentine's Day.
1. Marriage lottery on Valentine's Day
In Shakespeare's 400-year-old play “Hamlet,” Ophelia, the female lead, sings of Valentine's Day as an opportunity to fulfill a form of love based on the harmonious union of two personalities. In Shakespeare's time, it was customary to celebrate the day with a kind of “marriage lottery”: spouses (Valentine/Valentine) were determined by lottery at public events.
2. The longest kiss in the world
The longest kiss in the world lasted a whopping 58 hours, 35 minutes, and 58 seconds. This record was set by a couple in love on Valentine's Day 2013 (more precisely, from February 12 to 14) in Thailand. The value of such a kiss as proof of love is certainly open to debate, but the physical performance of the record holders is beyond question.
3. Group kissing on Valentine's Day
The world's largest group kiss took place in Mexico City in 2015: 39,897 people kissed each other at the same time on Valentine's Day.
4. Valentine's Day gifts for dogs
Happy dogs: In the US, it's not just partners who get to enjoy gifts. Around 9 million Americans also buy their pets a gift on the day of love.
5. Valentine's Day – 222,000 marriage proposals in 24 hours
The day of love – what better day for a marriage proposal? No wonder that on February 14, around 220,000 people worldwide ask the question: Will you marry me?
6. Valentine's Day gifts: flowers are the most popular
Flowers are the most popular Valentine's Day gift. This is followed closely by restaurant visits and sweets or chocolates, which 81% of women and 69% of men would like to receive on the day of love. This was the result of a survey conducted by YouGov (2020) in Germany.
7. A love letter from Loveland
An estimated one billion love letters are sent around the world every year on Valentine's Day. The small town of Loveland in the USA is particularly busy. Every year, around half a million letters arrive here around the day of love, just to receive the town's romantic postmark.
8. Good business for florists
Around 110 million roses are sold every year on Valentine's Day. In Germany, we often have to dig deep into our pockets for this. Around the day of love, flowers are around 8% more expensive than the annual average.
9. Valentine's Day is more than just gifts
Not all couples enjoy the custom of giving each other gifts on February 14. Around half of all couples in Germany deliberately refrain from buying gifts on the day of love.
10. Looking for a partner on Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is known to be the day for lovers. But even those who are still looking for the love of their life use this day as an opportunity to finally find their partner.
Online dating agencies usually record particularly high registration rates on Valentine's Day.
No one needs gift-giving stress: How lovers make the most of Valentine's Day
It seems to be human nature to celebrate romantic love as a social event. Florists, supermarket chains, event organizers, and restaurant operators effectively use Valentine's Day as an opportunity to increase sales.
Viewed objectively, everyone is trying to capitalize on Valentine's Day: for individuals, it's about fulfilling a personal dream or not disappointing someone. For the economy, it's about a positive quarterly result.
This almost automatically creates a certain amount of pressure. But love is above all a personal matter. If you decide to send or deliver a token of your love to your beloved on February 14, it is best to focus on the individual characteristics and wishes of your partner. Don't just try to deliver something to meet expectations.
Instead, try to see Valentine's Day as an opportunity to express your feelings in your own personal way, without expecting anything in return. You'll be surprised at the ideas you come up with when you start from what you really want to express – rather than what you can actually afford.
