Valentine’s Day: What is Valentine's day?

Valentine’s Day can be a confusing holiday. We’re not exactly sure where it originated, what we’re supposed to expect on this day, what most people actually do on Valentine’s Day, or what gifts we should buy. Time for some clarification!

Where Does Valentine’s Day Come From?

In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius declared February 14th as the day of Saint Valentine. It’s believed he did this to replace a pagan Roman fertility festival: Lupercalia. During this pagan festival, the names of unmarried young women were placed in a jar, and unmarried men would draw names to form temporary couples for the festival.

The festival was very popular but was declared pagan by the church. To keep the people happy, the church introduced a replacement: Saint Valentine’s Day. Little is known about Saint Valentine himself, except for a few legends.

Saint Valentine

The very first legend has a religious theme: Saint Valentine was persecuted for his Christian faith. He could have saved his life by converting to Roman beliefs, but he refused. Before his execution, he allegedly performed a miracle by restoring the sight of the jailer’s blind daughter. The ending of this legend was later romanticized: Saint Valentine supposedly gave her a card that read “From your Valentine” – after which she regained her sight. This is where the tradition of the “Valentine’s Day card” comes from.

Later, the focus shifted to love, and Saint Valentine was portrayed as a priest who secretly married young couples. For this, he was executed. In 1382, poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the following lines, inspired by the legend of Saint Valentine:

“For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird comes to choose its mate.”

In the United States, Valentine’s Day became popular as a way for people to anonymously express their love.

What Do We Expect on Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day arrived in the Netherlands in the 1990s, inspired by the U.S. It was originally a day for singles to express their love anonymously. But in recent years, it has mainly become a day for couples. Research shows that 59% of Dutch people expect a romantic evening with their partner, while only 15% of singles expect romance on Valentine’s Day.

What Do We Do on Valentine’s Day?

According to research by Groupon, we mostly give gifts (26%), send cards (18%), and go out for dinner (33%). The most popular gifts are perfume, flowers, and jewelry. Jewelry is traditionally seen as the perfect gift for a loved one. 41% of Dutch people who buy a Valentine’s gift do so online.

Unique, Personal Valentine’s Day Gifts

Looking for a personal Valentine’s Day gift? At Names4ever, you can create a unique, personalized Valentine’s gift. We engrave names, messages, fingerprints or photos into jewelry. Some great Valentine’s Day gift ideas include:

• Our heart necklaces
• Our fingerprint jewelry
• Our photo jewelry
• Our engraved silver rings