Her origin Valentine’s Dayalso known as Valentine’s Day remains, to this day, an unsolved mystery, with historians divided between different versions as to the origin story of the popular holiday.

“The Wolves”: The Pagan Origins of Valentine’s Day

Earlier traces can be sought in the pagan festival of the “Wolves” (“Lupercalia”) held in ancient Rome, February 13-15. A festival of purification and fertility, dedicated to Faunus, god of herds, pastures and forests, which according to other sources was also associated with the worship of the Founders of Rome, Remus and Romulus. Unlike Valentine’s Day celebrations, the “Wolves” were bloody and violent, involving animal sacrifices, and whipping with blood-soaked thongs, mostly on women and Spartans, so that they would be more fertile the rest of the year.

In addition, according to legend the young women of the town would place their names in a jar, from which the bachelors of the town would choose at random the name of the girl they would mate with for the duration of the festivities. Often, the couples remained together until the next year’s “Wolves”, many of them fell in love, while several times they were led to marriage.

The early Christian festival

Although the celebration survived the early years of the spread of Christianity, at the end of the 5th century AD, the Christian church put an end to “Wolves” with Pope Gelasius I establishing February 14 as Saint Valentine’s Day.

Originally the holiday was not associated with love, and even today scholars are not sure which of the nearly thirty Valentines recognized by the Catholic Church it was dedicated to.

The two predominant Saints are Valentine of Terni and Valentine of Rome. The stories surrounding their names have enough in common, leading some historians to conclude that they may be the same man. Both are portrayed as sympathetic, heroic and romantic figures. Both are considered martyrs, who are said to have performed miracles and who were executed for their refusal to renounce Christianity.

There are many myths surrounding their name. Especially for Valentine of Rome, he is said to have been a priest, who gave shelter to the persecuted during the persecutions against Christians. While imprisoned for his action, he is said to have fallen in love with his jailer’s daughter, to whom he wrote a love note signing it “Your Valentine”.

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