The History of Valentines Day

As we move through the Christmas break we know all too soon it will be over and we look on to the next special dates on our calendar. One of these is Valentines Day and if you like to plan ahead you may already be thinking about what gift to get for your special loved one. So many couples cherish Valentines Day however so many of us may not know how this special day for lovers came about. If you would like to know more, then keep reading.

Saint Valentines Day history

When you are ordering your gift baskets Brisbane for your Valentine, take a moment to consider the sacrifices made by Saint Valentine. It all began in the period of the Roman Empire. On the date February 14th, ancient Rome had a holiday to honour Juno. The queen of Goddesses and Roman Gods, Juno was known by the Romans as the Goddess of marriage and women. The next day, February 15th, the Feast of Lupercalia would be held. On the eve of this feast, the names of the Roman girls were placed on bits of paper and put into a jar. Young Roman men would then draw a piece of paper out of the jar and would partner the girl for the entire festival of Lupercalia. At times this pairing may last a year or more and there was every possibility the pair would fall in love and eventually marry.

It was later on that Emperor Claudius II decided that he was having trouble getting soldiers to join his army because they were apprehensive about leaving their families or lovers. As a result he no longer allowed engagements and marriages in Rome. Saint Valentine, a priest in Rome at the time, aided those who wished to marry and it was done in secret. Once discovered, the Prefect of Rome condemned Saint Valentine to death by being beaten with clubs followed by having his head severed. While he awaited his death sentence he was befriended by the daughter of a prison guard. She offered much solstice to Saint Valentine and on the day of his execution on February 14th he left her a note thanking her for her friendship and signed it, “Love from your Valentine.” It was from this day the tradition of selecting a Valentine to honour and give gifts of love was born.

When you are looking for an ideal Valentines gift look no further than a gift hamper. From baby gift baskets to get well hampers and more, gift hampers make the perfect gift, for Valentines and onwards.