Cupid's Rise to the Top

By Bob Cox

With Valentine’s Day coming to a heart and retail store near you, have you ever wondered how the whole thing began? Me too, so I did a little research (very little) and here’s what I came up with.

St. Valentine's Day began as a celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. A popular account of Saint Valentine of Rome states that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. According to legend, during his imprisonment, he healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius. Before his execution, he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell.

Valentines Day was first associated with romantic love during the Middle Ages, when the tradition of courting was commonplace. In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion for lovers to express their love for each other by presenting flowers, confectionery and greeting cards. Well, there goes my theory about how Valentine’s Day was named after Rudolph Valentino! Unbeknownst to me, that famous actor during the early years of motion pictures had nothing to do with it. On top of all that, his real name was actually Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguolla. Now say that three times real fast!

So how did the cute and cuddly little character we all know as Cupid get drug into the business of greeting cards and heart-shaped boxes of chocolates? Perhaps his old lady had a little something to do with it. After all, Cupid is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus in classical mythology. He is also the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. While his Greek counterpart Eros appears in classical Greek art as a slender winged youth during the Hellenistic period, Cupid was increasingly portrayed as a chubby boy. In Cupid’s defense, I challenge you to surround yourself in cases of chocolate with absolutely no adult supervion and see how well you manage your weight and self control!

As the unofficial C.E.O. and icon of Valentine’s Day, Cupid has had his fair share of admirable competitors that have challenged his reign of supremecy over the years, from Rudolph Valentino to Elvis Presley, but alas, the cheerful chubby cherub has managed to rise head and shoulders above the rest. Perhaps it’s all in the wings, and no Red Bull, you won’t get credit for that.

I guess I should be relieved that I was all wrong about the origins of Valentines Day. Otherwise, we might all be forced into saying Happy Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguolla’s Day!

The History of Valentine's Day

By Sylvia Cochran

Valentine's Day has been observed in a number of fashions throughout the decades, but the traditions that Americans associate with the holiday did not truly take place until about 1847. This year marks the first occasion that an American stationery store sold pre-printed Valentine's Day cards, and a practice that seems to have already flourished in England finally took hold in North America.

Nineteenth century social mores made the exchange of Valentine's Day gifts a mostly one-sided occasion for those who were unmarried. Men would offer handwritten and later printed cards to their love interests. As the 20th century was ushered in, gifts of flowers and later candies were added to the Valentine's Day observances. In the 1980's, the rise of diamond industry advertisements urging the purchase of a special gift gave a decidedly commercial feel to the occasion.

England introduced North America to the concept of greeting card exchanges for Valentine's Day observances, but other countries have put their own special spin on the day. In Sweden, giving flowers is at the heart of the observance, while cards take a backseat. Finland expanded the celebration to not only include lovers but also friends. In Japan, women take the initiative and present the men in their lives with chocolate candies.

Men and women observing Valentine's Day today generally use pre-printed cards. They serve as a springboard from which to seek out more elaborate observances. The ultimate observance is perhaps a marriage proposal timed for this day. A night out with dinner, dancing, and time away from friends and family is also part of the observance. Of course, finding the right things to do on Valentine's Day depends largely on the couple's tastes and preferences.