Valentine’s Day is one of the most important events of the year for consumers. This is the day when people usually show their love for their loved ones. Lovers are usually seen on dinner dates wearing red attire and carrying flowers. The event is usually characterised by two things. The first is people wearing red attire while the second is people giving flowers and other types of gifts to their loved ones. Valentine’s Day is also a special commercial event for retailers. This is when they usually record big sales as consumers rush to buy gifts, flowers, and red attire. While most people in the country may remember to celebrate Valentine’s Day, only a few people know the origin and significance of this special day. Hampers With Bite wrote an entire article dedicated to explaining the date, origins and history of Valentine’s Day. We have summarised that article below:
Valentine’s Day Explained
St Valentine’s Day is marked on the 14th day of February every year. It first started as a Christian holiday celebrating St Valentine, one of the early Christian Martyrs who was persecuted during the reign of the Roman Empire. St Valentine, a Christian priest at the time, was jailed by the Romans. It is said that one of the jailers had a blind daughter whose sight was restored by St Valentine. It is also said that the priest wrote a letter to the jailer’s daughter and signed “your valentine”.
The Acts of St Valentines
In the Roman empire, every able-bodied young man who was not yet married was required to report for duty when the emperor wanted to conquer other territories or defend the empire. Getting married was the only way of avoiding going to war. That is why all the priests were given strict instructions not to conduct any wedding, but St Valentine resisted. He secretly married couples to spare the husbands from war. This is what led to his persecution. This is the main reason why the saint is celebrated to this day. His acts of love have been emulated and celebrated all over the world.
Current St Valentine’s Day Traditions
While Valentine’s Day is still a day to celebrate love, it has become more of a commercial event than a holiday to remember the works of Saint Valentine. Retailers nowadays make billions of dollars on Valentine’s Day from selling flowers, red apparel, gifts, and other types of merchandise. Nowadays, the day is marked by the sending of greeting cards, presenting flowers, and offering confectionery to loved ones. The event is not just popular with Christians, but also non-Christians as it has achieved commercial success in China, South Korea, Japan, and other Asian Countries. In the United States, Valentine’s Day spending rose to $136 per person in the year 2017. The figure has been rising steadily over the years as the special day for lovers continues to gain greater commercial value.