Valentine's Day 2021: Everything you need to know about the day's history & significance

Valentine's Day 2021 is right around the corner. Historically, on this very day, individuals have been observed to make it known to their loved ones as to how much do they mean to them. On the other hand, many people have been seen making an attempt at initiating a romantic relationship with the person they have had their heart set on for a significant amount of time. This article will take its reader through relevant topics such as Valentine's Day History, Valentine's Day interesting facts & Valentine's Day significance.

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Valentine's Day History:

As per a report on History.com, the traditions that one gets to observe on February 14th every year have been inspired by the customs and traditions that were followed by the Romans and the Christians back in the 3rd century A.D. Although Valentine's Day is known as a day of love, chocolates, stuffed toys, gifts, and romantic date nights, its history is said to be anything but pleasant. Valentine's Day gets its name from a certain St. Valentine, but it is unclear as to which St. Valentine was the one who was honoured by getting a day named after him, since as per the History.com article, the Catholic Church recognised three St. Valentines who served in several Roman churches during that time period. Although to this day, the complete name of the saint who is responsible for the naming of Valentine's Day can be debated, as per the History.com report, it is a unanimously agreed-upon fact that two of the three saints preached the message of love and togetherness in their own unique ways and were brutally executed by Emperor Claudius II for violating one policy or the other that was made by him. The following story summaries in connection to the two priests may give the reader an idea regarding Valentine's Day Significance.

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As per the very same report, one St. Valentine was executed for secretly getting young lovers married, in spite Claudius II's criminalisation of the ritual, since he was of the opinion that young and single men make for better soldiers. The other St. Valentine, on the other hand, as per the report, was executed for reportedly freeing Christians from Roman prisons, where they were reportedly treated harshly. The second St. Valentine was reportedly incarcerated for a number of weeks before a final decision regarding his life was taken by Claudius II, during which time, it is said that he fell in love with a woman who visited him frequently. The woman in question is believed to be a prisoner's daughter. The report stated that on the last day of his life, the second St. Valentine left a note for this woman and signed it with "From Your Valentine", which is said to be the origin of the expression that is used to this day. A portion of the report even suggests that Valentine's Day is a derivative of St. Valentine's feast day, a festive occasion that was invented by the Christians of that era in an attempt to Christianize the Pagan festival of Lupercalia. A definitive conclusion with regards to the origins of Valentine's Day is yet to be reached.

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Valentine's Day interesting facts:

The following centuries saw various additions to Valentine's Day festivities in terms of the introduction of the iconic romantic figure, Cupid and when was the first time somebody sent a Valentine's Day gift to someone. Read on to know about the top 10 Valentine's Day facts. The information that can be found below has been sourced from articles on GoodHousekeeping.com and History.com.

Interesting Valentine's Day facts:

1) The first Valentine's Day gift, which was a poem, was sent in the 15th century.

2) Cupid has its roots in Greek Mythology

3) Valentine's Day was declared as the official day of love in the 13th century, quite literally a millennia after the events that supposedly inspired it.

4) The traditions of gifting flowers on Valentine's Day dates back to the 17th Century. 

5) In the year 2019, Americans spent close to USD 20 Billion (Approximately Rs. 1.4 Lakh crores) on Valentine's Day gifts alone

6) The first-ever heart-shaped box of chocolates was gifted in the year 1861

7) The first-ever conversation hearts were gifted over 150 years ago

8) Geoffrey Chaucer, a medieval English Poet, may have been responsible for the invention of Valentine's Day

9) The valentine's heart got its iconic shape in the 14th century.

10) At one point in time, the phrase "Heart On A Sleeve" literally meant that one must get the name of their loved ones stitched onto one of the sleeves of their shirt and wear it for a whole week.

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