Happy Valentine's Day from Roy and Dolores Kelley
Valentine's Day has origins in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, and the celebration of Saint Valentine. The holiday became associated with romantic love in the 14th and 15th centuries.
Origins
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The holiday may have originated in the 6th century B.C. to honor the Roman fertility god Lupercus
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In the 5th century A.D., Pope Gelasius I replaced Lupercalia with a celebration of Saint Valentine on February 14
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The day may be named after a Roman priest who was martyred around 270 C.E. by the emperor Claudius II Gothicus
Romantic association
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The holiday became associated with romantic love in the 14th and 15th centuries
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English poet Geoffrey Chaucer's poem Parliament of Fowls declared Valentine's Day as the time when birds choose their mates
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This poem inspired the tradition of lovers sending romantic letters to each other
Modern traditions
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The holiday is celebrated with gifts such as flowers, candy, and jewelry
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Symbols of Valentine's Day include hearts, doves, and the winged Cupid
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The first commercial valentines in the United States were printed in the mid-1800s
- Hallmark Cards began mass-producing valentines in 1913
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Dahlia, Kentlands Photowalk, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA IMG 2806
Canon PowerShot G11 Camera
Photograph by Roy Kelley
Roy and Dolores Kelley Photographs
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