Valentine’s Day started after Pope Gelasius outlawed Lupercalia in the 5th century and replaced it with ‘Saint Valentine’s Day‘
By Dami Oshodi
Did you know that before Saint Valentine’s Day was a day of love, it was first a day dedicated to celebrating fertility and agriculture?
Just as the Yorubas believe that they descended from Oduduwa, the ancient Romans believed that they were descendants of the twins Romulus and Remus.
They believed that the twins were cast away into the wild when they were babies, left to die. Fortunately, a she-wolf named Lupa found and suckled them. Afterwards, a shepherd named Lupercus found them with the she-wolf and became responsible for their upbringing.
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The twins, legend has it, went on the establish the city of Rome.
Every February 15, at the onset of the spring season, the ancient Romans held a fertility festival called Lupercalia in honour of the Roman god Lupercus and, possibly, of the she-wolf goddess.
It wasn’t until the 5th century that the Christian Pope Gelasius outlawed Lupercalia, replacing it with Saint Valentine’s Day. Much later, the celebration became associated with love and romance.
