Why Do We Celebrate Valentine’s Day? 

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day each year? New Zealander’s have a love-hate relationship with this day, which most of us associate with gift cards and boxes of chocolate. Yet Valentine's Day wasn’t always seen as such and instead had a much darker secret. Today we’re going to share the history of this day with you and how it became the celebration we know and love today.

Exploring the History of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day wasn’t always about red roses and a box of chocolates, though love did play a large role. The Romans used the days between the 13^thto 15^thFebruary to celebrate the feast of Lupercalia. Here’s where things get interesting, as men sacrificed a goat and a dog, then used these animal hides to whip women, with the belief that this would increase their fertility. A type of matchmaking lottery also took place, where men and women were paired up for the festival…

This pagan festival wasn’t to last though. In 500 AD, Pope Gelasius decreed that each year on the 14th February, a celebration or feast for the martyred priest St Valentine should occur. There’s conflicting historical information about exactly why St Valentine was chosen as the focus of the day. Some stories say he performed marriages forbidden by the Roman empire, and consequently was executed. Others say he wore a ring with cupid on and gave out paper hearts to remind Christians that God loved them before he was killed by soldiers.

As the years went by though, Valentine’s Day became more romantic, with Shakespeare including it in his plays and handmade cards being widely given throughout the Middle Ages. The greeting card company Hallmark beginning to mass-produce Valentine’s cards in its factory in 1913, and the giving of cards has been commonplace ever since.

But why nowadays, do we still celebrate Valentine’s Day? We’re taking the view that it’s a special day of the year when we can show our partners just how much they mean to us. It’s a day where we can stop and focus on the important person in our lives, showing them that we appreciate all they do for us. It’s a day to spoil them!

A beautifully presented and thoughtfully created Valentine’s Day gift box does this perfectly. Here at Spoil Me, our gift boxes will help you and your loved one celebrate this Valentine’s Day. View our collection of Valentine’s Day gift boxes for her and for him, and spoil them today!