Valentine’s Day : A Peek into the Past

This isn’t our typical blog about proposing to your love in Oahu, but it is a fun origin story!  As I was creating the centerpiece for our Valentines Day photoshoot, I was curious about the origins of our famously popular holiday. 

Today, Valentine’s Day is heralded as a day for love, romance, and a great day for a destination proposal.  It has been observed by showering your love also known as “Valentine,” with gifts such as: candy, flowers, and jewelry, but when did it start and where did this tradition come from?

According to one source, it had its roots in an ancient Roman holiday called Lupercalia which was celebrated in the middle of February to honor the coming of spring.  The Lupercalia festival often included the practice of fertility rituals which sometimes included a lottery to pair off women and men.

Another source references two Christian martyrs by the name, St. Valentine. Thus the day was marked to honor their selfless acts of kindness.  One story is that Saint Valentine was a bishop of Tenri who secretly married couples against the edict of the emperor to prevent the husbands’ from going to war. It is believed that this was the reason Valentine’s day became associated with love and romance. 

However, the first Valentine messages began to appear in the 1500’s, while the first commercial cards began in the 1700’s. Then in the 1800’s, the United States started commercially printing Valentine’s cards.

I had always thought that the first commercial cards showed up around the 1940’s, in the United States, so I didn’t realize that the first commercial cards were printed so early on!  I was amazed to learn it started much earlier and fascinated to read about how the holiday started, what some believed it to be, when Valentine’s began to be commercialized, and what gifts are given to mark the day!  This is just a portion of my findings, but I do encourage you to do some research if you like history.  

However the holiday was born, I do know one thing, Valentine’s Day or not, it is always great to remind your partner that they are loved, cherished, and treasured. I do love having the holiday because sometimes, we all need a little reminder to do those special things for each other. 

Thinking of proposing in Hawaii and need more inspiration? Check out more of our blogs! Need more help in planning that truly memorable proposal in Oahu? Send us a message! Let’s tell your love story!

Works Cited: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Valentines-Day, Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica