A history of love in the making

Ever wonder about the origins of Valentine’s Day? Pull up a chair and grab a cup of coffee. We’re about to dive into the history behind the holiday celebrated the world over for lovers.
Valentine’s Day descends from the ancient Roman ritual of Lupercalia, which took place on the ides of March, otherwise known as March 15. Romans held a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture. They also celebrated the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. How did they honor this god and creators of their way of life? With sacrifices of course.
Members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, gathered at a cave the Romans held sacred because they believed that was where their founders Romulus and Remus were raised by a she-wolf. There, they would sacrifice a goat for fertility and a dog for purification. Afterwards, they would strip the goat’s hide, slicing it into strips that were then dipped into the sacrificial blood. Once these strips were anointed with the sacrificial blood, they would be taken to the streets of Rome where women were slapped with them because everyone believed the ritual would make them more fertile in the coming year.