{"id":3825,"date":"2023-02-13T12:00:24","date_gmt":"2023-02-13T04:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/great-panini.45-127-5-72.plesk.page\/?p=3825"},"modified":"2023-07-24T17:36:38","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T09:36:38","slug":"feb-valentines-day-and-roses-the-origin-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iconcept-demo.com\/flowernation\/feb-valentines-day-and-roses-the-origin-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Valentine\u2019s Day and Roses: The origin story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Valentine\u2019s Day, an annual occasion where lovebirds declare their affection for one another, and a day where roses and flower gifting is witnessed all over the streets.<\/p>\n

Officially known as Saint Valentine\u2019s Day, it is celebrated on February 14th each year. There are many variations to the origin story, and a couple of martyrs named Valentine. And so we sieved through the many layers to bring you a brief history of the day, and why roses became the de facto flower associated with it.<\/p>\n

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Who was Saint Valentine?<\/strong><\/p>\n

As is often the case with long-standing traditions, there are plenty of myths surrounding the origins of Valentine\u2019s Day. And as you would expect, there are some rather fanciful legends put about to explain how we came to set aside February 14th as a day for celebrating romance.<\/p>\n

To understand the real origins of Valentine\u2019s Day, we need to remember that the full name of this romantic celebration is actually \u201cthe Feast of St Valentine\u201d.<\/p>\n

Valentine, or Valentinus, as he had been known back then, was a Christian saint. In fact, there seem to have been two of them, but with time, the stories about the two saints of the same name have evolved and possibly amalgamated into one.<\/p>\n

Written accounts suggest that the figure we commemorate was a clergyman in 3rd-century Rome. He was said to have helped Christians who were being persecuted by the Romans and, according to some accounts, he even performed Christian wedding ceremonies for soldiers, who were at that time forbidden to marry. He became a martyr in 296 AD on that special date that is February 14th.<\/p>\n

According to a highly romanticised tale, he restored the sight of his captor\u2019s daughter, writing her a letter signed \u201cfrom your Valentine\u201d before he was executed.<\/p>\n

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How did Valentine\u2019s Day come to be associated with romance?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Valentine's<\/p>\n

One 18th century theory goes that Valentine\u2019s Day rose to prominence as an attempt to replace the Roman fertility festival known as Lupercalia, but this theory has since been debunked and dismissed by academics. The February 14th date only became associated with romance in the High Middle Ages, courtesy of a Geoffrey Chaucer, at a time when courtly love was de rigeur.<\/p>\n

Chaucer\u2019s mention of Valentine\u2019s Day, in his writing Parlement of Foules, fitted the belief at the time that mid-February was when the birds paired up:<\/p>\n

\u201cFor this was on seynt Valantynys day
\nWhan euery byrd comyth there to chese his make.\u201d<\/p>\n

In modern English, this means, \u201cFor this was on St Valentine\u2019s Day, when every bird comes there to choose his mate.\u201d The mention here suggests an established tradition, but in fact this is the first reference to it as such, and it\u2019s thought that the association with romantic love was something Chaucer simply made up. And this supposed fantasy lives on in a celebrated fashion through times up till today.<\/p>\n

Oh, the power of words.<\/p>\n

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A rose by any other name\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

And then we get to the romantic line that also lives till today. William Shakespeare wrote in the love tragedy Romeo and Juliet the popular adage, \u201cWhat\u2019s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roses, sweet smelling, and always a classic representation of passion and romantic love.<\/p>\n

We all know roses \u2013 especially red ones \u2013 are the quintessential Valentine’s Day flowers, much like poinsettias represent the Christmas season. But why roses?<\/p>\n

Florists aren\u2019t complaining, as roses are very hardy and feature a long-lasting bloom. Besides any other flower, roses have historical relevance. It\u2019s amazing how flowers, and roses especially, have resonated with all kinds of people throughout the centuries.<\/p>\n

Roses are said to have become linked to Valentine\u2019s Day during the 17th century, with tales of the rose being a symbol of Venus, the classical goddess of love.<\/p>\n

Floriography, the language of flowers, exploded in the Victorian era, making a gift of Valentine\u2019s Day roses a form of communication. In floriography, each rose colour represents the giver\u2019s feelings towards the recipient.<\/p>\n

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Roses and their meanings by colour<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Multicoloured<\/p>\n

Thanks to the conservative, emotionally-reserved nature of Victorian society, one would avoid speaking words of feelings aloud, so they let the flower bouquets do the talking. That\u2019s when floriography grew tremendously popular.<\/p>\n

Below are some meanings of common rose colours<\/p>\n