Every February we celebrate Valentine's Day by giving flowers, candy and cards to those we love. Did you ever wonder about the who and the why of this romantic holiday? Who was this person called St. Valentine? And why, if he was a saint and a devoted religious figure, did he come to be associated with a celebration of amore`, lovers and Cupid?
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In the 20th century we celebrate February 14th with the exhange of candy and cards. Children give out cute little heart-shaped greetings that proclaim their affection for classmates and teachers. Today's valentine cards are graced with the likes of Scooby Doo, Spider Man, Winnie the Pooh and, of course, Cupid! But in 5th century Rome, where the whole business allegedly began, it was a different story. On February 15th the festival of Lupercalia was celebrated to ensure protection from wolves. The celebration paid homage the gods Faunus and Lupercus, as well as the twin brothers Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome. According to myth, Romulus and Remus were suckled by wolves at a cave on the Palatine Hill, in the city of Rome. The Romans appropriately named this cave the Lupercal, and used it as the center of Lupercalia ceremonies. Young men called Luperci(priests) were reported to have struck people with strips of animal hide. Women accepted the blows because they felt that this whipping would increase their fertility.
In the Roman society a young man's rite of passage was celebrated with this pagan celebration to the god Lupercus. As time went on Lupercalia began to be celebrated with a lottery in which the young men would draw the names of the teenage gals from a box. The lucky, or not so lucky, girl would then be the fellow's sexual partner during the remaining year. Often the lady would receive a gift or a greeting in the name of Juno, a Roman goddess.
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