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Valentines Gifts

Valentines gifts are given on or very close to February 14th every year. That was the day that two separate Catholics were martyred, one in 269 AD, the other was around the same time, but not exactly known. Both are buried right off of the Via Flaminia, one of the most important ancient roads to Rome. There is very little known about either of them, except that they were martyred, or died for their religion. The romantic connection to the day had not been created yet.

The practice of giving Valentines gifts didn’t occur until the middle of the 19th century. It is argued that Chaucer actually romanticized the day, but Feb. 14 also occurs in the middle of the month of Gamelion from the Greek calendar which was associated with the marriage of Zeus and Hera. Lupercalia was an ancient roman holiday celebrating fertility between Feb 13th and the 15th but was eventually abolished by Pope Gelasius I in 492 for being too sexually motivated of a holiday.

The first Valentines gifts were hand written cards that expressed love to the recipient. This tradition became popular in the 1840’s and has worked its way into every holiday. It is now common for cards to be given with every gift at every holiday. Other tokens of love are flowers, hearts, cupids and chocolates.

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