Valentine's the Wolf-Day

Most of you probably know about Valentine's Day, a celebration of chocolate, flowers, etc for boyfriends and girlfriends. Few people, however, know the strange history of the holiday.

In ancient Roman times, February 14th was Lupercalia, the wolf-festival. Lupercalia involved priests (called Februa-->February) in wolf-costumes, a race around the city, and the sacrifice of a dog. The purpose was to cleanse the city of evil spirits and ensure fertility for the coming year. As Rome became Christianized, this holiday was done away with.

The origin of our modern Valentine's Day occurred in the early 19th century. Printers began to manufacture "Paper Valentine's"--greeting cards made with lace and ribbon and embroidered with sentimental love poetry. The popularity of these cards eventually led to our modern holiday.

Valentine's Day is celebrated in many other countries, but, in Asian cultures November 11th is often more popular. 11/11 is "Singles Day" and is celebrated, ironically, by exchanging chocolates and flowers.