The History Of Valentine's
Day by:Athena Van Cleave

During the month of February some people wonder what
Valentine’s Day was like in the past so it is time to answer
that question. Let’s go back in time to see what the so
called “Heart Day” was like. At least seven hundred
years ago the west Christians had a feast in honor of
a man named Valentine (Val-en-teen) who was a priest
some believed that helped Christians get married
behind the backs of Roman Dukes and Duchesses.
Oops I forgot something: The holiday originated in
Rome so it was born a Roman holiday until, the
Christians adopted it as their own.  Now, back to the
story: Valentine helped Christians get married. They
say he was caught one day and went to jail for helping
the couples. Others say that he set the Christians
who were captured by the Romans free from the
Roman Empire, because they hated Christians. Now,
that was the Christian 1700’s point of view in contrast
the non-Christian point of view from the 1800’s &
1300’s. This part comes from two countries: Italy
and England. We will start in Rome, Italy.

Moreover, one lovely day in Rome during the 1300’s
a very talented man wrote a poem that changed the
course of history. It was an Italian didactic poem
Documenti d’amore by Francesco Barberino, a
Florentine jurist, that went viral in the 14th-century.
One of its illustrations — depicting a cupid standing
on the back of a galloping horse throwing arrows
and roses at bystanders — included hearts. Shortly
after its publication, the scalloped heart began appearing
in other works of visual art and in tapestries. That
was the story of the heart we all draw, cut, glue,
color, and eat (in the form of candy) today. Next, we
find ourselves on the subject of the cupid.  They say
that in Roman Mythology cupid is the son of Venus
the Goddess of Love and Affection. Meanwhile, the
father that no one knows the name of was the God of
Beauty. Now, Roman to Greek translation Roman:
Venus = Greek: Aphrodite, Got it? Good. To conclude,
that was how Cupid came to be; otherwise, Cupid is
make believe. Which is the most likely conclusion.

Now those were the symbols you know all too well
but now comes the best part. The best part: the
CANDY!!!!!!!!!!!!! and Valentines. For kids,
Valentine's Day is a day where you get candy, cards,
and toys. The candy and toys are not just in school,
but yea, it is mostly a day for kids in school.  Who
wouldn’t like that? The adult part of the story is
different. Adults normally go up to someone they
like, and have chocolates or flowers and ask them
to “Be their Valentine.” Finally, that is the adult side
of the story, but that was what happens in modern
times. The holiday, in the kids perspective, originated
in the 1800’s aka the 19th century. The adult perspective
came along in the exact same time in and around the
1800’s. And that folks is the history of Valentine’s Day
as researched by me.