History and Fun Facts about Valentine’s Day

The origin of Valentine’s Day is a huge mystery, but there are some great stories with and without heart-shaped arrows.

The prevailing story is that a Bishop named Valentine secretly married couples in love during the third century in Rome because the Emperor had forbidden his soldiers from getting married. The Emperor believed that single soldiers performed better in battle. Valentine disagreed and married couples in secret. He was caught and jailed for this crime, where further folklore says he performed a miracle on the jailer’s daughter by curing her blindness. The night before his execution he sent a letter to the jailer’s daughter and signed it Your Valentine. This, of course, is the expression we now use today, usually when sending an anonymous love note.

The most likely, although less of a star-crossed lover reason for the holiday, goes all the way back to the ancient Roman holiday of Lupercalia, which honored Juno the goddess of women and marriage.

Fun Facts

1. The first box of chocolates for made for Valentine’s Day was made by Richard Cadbury in the 1800’s. This helped start the tradition of giving chocolate for Valentine’s Day.

2. Cupid is a symbol of Valentine’s Day because he was the son of Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. Those cute little arrows he holds were actually magical arrows, believed to make those he shot fall in love.

3. King Henry VII of England declared St. Valentine’s Day a holiday in 1537.

4. Valentine’s Day is celebrated in America, Italy, United Kingdom, Mexico, Canada, France, Australia and Denmark.

5. Teachers receive the most Valentine’s Day cards each year — but come on, they have an unfair advantage!

Mesa Pediatric Urgent Care and Gilbert Pediatric Urgent Care

AllKids Urgent Care believes that all kids deserve the best. Both our Mesa Pediatric Urgent Care and our Gilbert Pediatric Urgent Care are open from noon to 10 pm daily, including Valentine’s Day (!), so we are available when kids (and parents) need us most. For more information on our pediatric urgent care clinics, click here for more information.