by Cheryl Tan Kay Yin
Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and while chocolates and flowers seem to be everything as they dominate the market, here are 6 facts that you never knew about Valentine’s Day.
1. The story of Bishop Valentine
There are many stories about the possible origins of Valentine’s Day but today, we will talk about the historical account of where it possibly originated from. Back in 270 A.D., Claudius II forbade his soldiers from getting married during wartime as he believed they would be stronger, more focused and more capable of fighting the war as single men. However, Bishop Valentine went against Claudius’ wishes and held marriage ceremonies for couples. When Claudius II found out about this, Bishop Valentine was jailed and subsequently executed on February 14. He wrote a love letter before his death in which he signed off a “From Your Valentine”.
2. Chocolates cure a broken heart!
In the 1800s, people suffering from were advised by doctors to eat chocolates as they claimed it would soothe their pain and calm their longing for their first love. Even though we are more well-informed about heartbreak being a symptom and not an illness, women still seek comfort in chocolates to mend their broken hearts!
3. Cupid
Familiar with the baby cupid holding a bow and heart- shaped arrow? Well, in ancient Greece, Cupid was also known as Eros, the son of Aphrodite, who is the goddess of love and beauty, hence the symbol of love on Valentine’s Day!
4. XX
We’ve all used this in our text messages to convey our kisses to someone we love,, but how did this come about? Well, during the Medieval times, many villagers did not know how to write hence in place of their name, they signed off with a letter X and then kissed it to show their sincerity!
5. “Wear your heart on your sleeve”
During the Medieval times, young men and women would draw names from a bowl to see who their Valentine would be. They would then wear their Valentine’s name on their sleeve which led to this coined phrase “Wear your heart on your sleeve”.
6. Lace
This may surprise you, but lace used to be a common gift for Valentine’s Day. It is the latin word for “snare” and was meant to signify catching a person’s heart.
Make this Valentine’s Day one that signifies different kinds of love, be it family, friends, your significant other or your colleagues. Valentine’s Day can be celebrated by both couples and singles! It’s a day of remembering and being grateful for our loved ones!
