Valentine's Day Across the Globe

originally written for The Emory Wheel: Arts & Living(www.emorywheel.com)

Roses are red, violets are blue. Sugar is sweet and so are you. We all remember scrawling this, in some form or another, and folding a red sheet of paper in half to make a heart; an incredible discovery when you make your first one. Valentine’s Day remains ingrained in most of us as we’ve grown up. Anonymous Valentines were slipped through lockers in middle school; we sent cupcakes and roses through school-funded Valentine’s Day events. Even today, as we crawl across campus, we see chalkings for Valegrams and other sentimental gifts to get us into the season.

But, where did it all come from? When did children start using safety scissors for construction papers hearts? When did every Feb. 14 become a day for couples to rub the rest of our faces in their romances?

Some speculated that St. Valentine sent the first Valentine. In reality, St. Valentine is as associated with the creation of Valentines as Jesus is with Easter eggs, so not at all. St. Valentine was a persecuted Christian during the reign of Roman emperor Claudius II. For some unknown reason, Claudius wanted to interrogate St. Valentine in person. Quickly impressed by the soon-to-be saint, Claudius tried to convert St. Valentine from Christianity to Roman paganism. St. Valentine refused to give up his faith and was sentenced to death.

The night before his execution, it is said that St. Valentine performed a miracle, healing the blind daughter of the jailer. In the American Greeting Card’s telling of this legend on History.com, the ending is amended to add that St. Valentine sent the world’s first Valentine to the jailer’s daughter, signing it “Your Valentine” thus coining the phrase. Completely unproven, this part of the story is considered a commercialized addition.

Like every good English major, I’ve learned that when unsure of the answer, look to the dead British guys.

Interestingly, my major’s method works when searching for the origins of St. Valentine’s Day. One of the most famous, and longest dead, members of the literary canon helped me out on this one: Geoffrey Chaucer. He was said to be the first to associate the day of St. Valentine with romance.

In “Parlement of Foules,” Chaucer writes:
“For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.”

For those of you who have forgotten your middle English, this translates in modern English to, “For this was Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate.”

The couplet was written as part of a poem honoring the marriage of King Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. From his marriage of birds, Chaucer’s imagery seemed to solidify Valentine’s Day as a holiday for lovers.

Looking to the years after Chaucer, romantic traditions continued to be a core part of Feb. 14. Some even turned the day into a legal matter. In 15th century Paris, men and women were constantly facing issues with courtship. On Valentine’s Day in 1400, a “High Court of Love” was created.

Following legal procedures, the court would be made up of tribunals, with 10 to 70 women who heard cases in the form of complaints from lovers. The court dealt with love, adultery, flirtations, betrayals and violence against women. They would ruminate on romantic matters and rule in favor of the one they believed had better followed the “rules of love.”

By the 18th century, Valentines were an established part of popular culture.

So much so that in 1797, an enterprising British publisher decided to help young men who were not so well-versed in romance. The Young Man’s Valentine Writer was published, containing a large collection of romantic love poems for those who preferred to copy and paste rather than write their own.

In different parts of the world, traditions began to develop as all cultures caught the love bug. In Norfolk, the children believe in a character called Jack Valentine who brings sweets and presents for them. In Portugal, Valentine’s Day is referred to as Dia dos Namorados, which translates to, “day of those that are in love with each other,” or, more simply, “Lover’s Day.”

Not everyone seems to feel the love though.

In some countries, like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran and Malaysia, religious political parties have tried to impose a ban on Valentine’s Day-related items. But even politics can’t stop the Valentines.

Saudi Arabia’s ban supposedly created a black market, purely for roses and wrapping paper. Florists in Pakistan say they still sell an excessive amount of red roses on Feb. 14 every year.

Some countries chose to take it in the other direction, seizing the holiday from romantic lovers and turning it into a day for friendship, as well as love. In most of Latin America, Valentine’s Day is celebrated along with the tradition of amigo secreto, or Secret Friend, where people give gifts to assigned friends in a manner similar to Secret Santa.

In Finland, Feb. 14 is Ystävänpäivä, which translates to, “Friend’s Day.” A similar type of festival is celebrated in Estonia.

Sharing the love with your friends as well as lovers is not a new notion in this country either. More than half of the Valentines sent every year are given to family members who aren’t a spouse, and many go to children. In fact, the people who receive the most valentines every year are teachers, monitoring their classrooms during construction paper activities.

So maybe the secret to surviving Valentine’s day when you’re single isn’t about finding a significant other for this special day, but about remembering those who significantly affect you everyday. Whether it’s a boyfriend or a best friend, make sure you take a minute to tell someone you love them today, because today is a day where, as another dead British dude once said, “all you need is love.”