Fertility Celebrations Preceded Valentine’s Day in Ancient Rome
Valentine’s Day is celebrated all around the world in February. But what was celebrated in its place in Ancient Rome? Clearly long before romance came into play, the Romans celebrated similar holidays and festivities, which were linked to their religious traditions.
The original festival celebrated in Ancient Rome around the time of our Valentine’s Day was called Lupercalia. It was a fertility-based celebration where young, unmarried Roman men and women would partake in a lottery to be paired together for the event. This was done as a way to match people romantically and then hopefully, even eventually, in marriage.
When Christianity was introduced in Ancient Rome, the religious holidays and celebrations changed with it. The Lupercalia was then replaced with a more serious and romantic holiday. This holiday went by the name of ‘Valentiniana’, named after Saint Valentine, and it was used to celebrate acts of selfless love in Christian couples.
With Valentine’s Day’s rising popularity in modern-day societies, there is still much that remains a mystery as to the origin. It is believed that Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome during the 3rd century, who was martyred for his beliefs and was later praised as a saint. It is also believed that he performed weddings for men and women just prior to his death.
Alessandro Chiarini, a scholar of paleography, ancient Italian languages and culture, said that during the 4th century the clergy started to organize more solemn and spiritual ceremonies that were centered around the Lupercalia instead of the local traditions.
“At the same time, Saint Valentine was mentioned for the first time in written texts as a sort of defender of Christian lovers, solacing them and facilitating the marriages that the church restricted,” said Chiarini.
Chiarini suggested that it was only inevitable that one day the two Roman customs would obtain a sort of religious fusion and create the Valentine we recognize today.
Festivities Include Bloody Sacrifices and Roman Dog Diving
The Lupercalia began as a Roman agricultural festival, which was said to be held in honor of the God of fertility, Lupercus. At this festival, young, unmarried Roman men and women would partake in a lottery to be paired together for the event.
During the celebration of the Lupercalia sacrifices were performed, such as the sacrifice of goats and a dog. Goats were seen as a symbol of fertility due to its hairy hide, and male members of the Luperci (the Roman clergy) wearing goatskin cloaks would spank the woman involved with a skin which was cut from the sacrificed animal.
In addition to their age-old goat sacrifice traditions, they also had a unique tradition of dog diving. Dogs were believed to be a divine symbol and were declared sacred during the festival. On the day of the Lupercalia celebration, dogs were thrown into the river. Those who could swim and reach the shores of the river were said to be blessed and were worshipped.
Fertility also was an integral part of the customs in Ancient Rome, where it was important for families to have lots of children so that the family name would carry on. Of course, this led to many partners being selected and happily married. This was seen as a way of honoring the gods of fertility so that the families could have abundant harvests, children, and families.
The tradition of the lottery was also practiced in Ancient Rome as a way for the Romans to refer to their tradition of marriage by choice. Most of the matches, however, ended in arranged marriages and the lottery was never seen as having a serious end-game initially.
Christianity and the Influence of Pope Gelasius I
When Christianity was introduced in Ancient Rome during the 3rd or 4th century the religious holidays and celebrations changed with it. The Lupercalia was then replaced with a more serious and romantic holiday, which went by the name of ‘Valentiniana’, named after Saint Valentine.
The introduction of Christianity in Ancient Rome stemmed from Pope Gelasius I, the first pope who united the Eastern and Western Churches of Rome. Gelasius’s introduction of St Valentine’s Day made it a more romantic affair as it was used to celebrate acts of selfless love in Christian couples.
Pope Gelasius declared that the Valentiniania be held on the day of Saint Valentine’s death, February 14th, as oppose to the Lupercalia which was celebrated on February 15th. Although some claim that the Pope declared this to equate the Valentiniania with the Roman holiday of Lupercalia. Other historians claim that the Pope tried to get rid of the pagan celebrations and introduce his own, Christian based ones.
It is likely that Pope Gelasius used the Valentiniania as a way to spread Christianity in Ancient Rome and he declared that the holiday be celebrated in honor of St Valentine as he wanted to eradicate the Lupercalia and its pagan traditions.
Regardless of what his intentions were, it is clear that the Valentiniania replaced Lupercalia and it has remained in the hearts of many ever since.
Romans Exchange Talismanic Gifts and Valentines
Back in Ancient Rome, couples involved in the lottery for the Valentiniania would exchange meaningful gifts. These would range from talismans, such as a ring or a lock of hair, as a symbol of their love and respect for one another.
Recently, paper Valentines were exchanged in the month of February as a way to declare one’s affection to someone else. This is said to have originated in Ancient Rome, where young, single Romans wrote down their name in a lottery to pair with a mate. The ones who got chosen would later write a Valentines and exchange it with the one they were matched with.
Historians are inclined to believe that the exchanging of Valentines began as a slightly romanticized version of the pairing of names that occurred for the lottery of the Valentiniania. Ancient Romans would exchange a token of affection such as a poem, a song or an art piece of some kind.
In modern times, the exchange of paper Valentines has been used as a way to send secret admirers a message of love from afar. Sometimes these Valentines include love letters or poems and are often anonymous.
Romans also exchanged amulets and garlands on February 15th, which were said to be a symbol for the fertility celebration that was started by the Lupercalia festival.
Conclusion of the Valentiniania and its Legacy
With the rise of Christianity in Ancient Rome, the Lupercalia festival was abolished and replaced by the Valentiniania. This was celebrated on February 14th and was dedicated to Saint Valentine and the acts of selfless love among Christian couples.
It is said that Pope Gelasius created the Valentiniania as an attempt to erase the pagan-based Lupercalia and introduce his own Christian-based holiday. This secular holiday has remained with us even to this day, although it is now more focused on romantic love rather than selfless love.
Gifts exchanged in Ancient Rome included talismans, such as a ring or a lock of hair, as well as paper Valentines with poems and other art forms. The Valentinese tradition has been kept alive with the modern day celebration of Valentine’s Day.
