Valentines Day for Kids
Valentines Day's Ancient Roots
The ancient Roman god, Cupid, has played a role in the celebration of love for a very long time. To the ancient Romans, Cupid was the son of Venus (the Roman goddess of love & beauty.) In ancient Greece, Cupid was known as Eros, the son of Aphrodite (the Greek goddess of love and beauty. Same god, different name. When Eros shot his little arrows into an unwary victim, that victim fell in love with the very next person they saw! His magical arrows worked on gods as well as mortals. Eros had a lot of fun shooting his arrows. You can imagine how much trouble he caused! As fun as it was, the truth was that Eros was very lonesome until one day things changed. Read the charming myth of Eros & Psyche to discover how Eros finally found happiness. The Charming Myth of Eros & Psyche
There are several saints named Valentine. One Saint Valentine lived in ancient Rome about 300 years after the birth of Jesus. The emperor at the time outlawed Christian marriage ceremonies. Saint Valentine continued to marry people anyway in the Christian way. Saint Valentine was arrested and killed. Many people, and not just Christians, were very upset about this. To honor him, February 14th became known as St Valentine's Day, so people would not forget his bravery. Over time, it simply became known as Valentine's Day.
About a thousand years later, people began sending each other Valentine love letters in Europe around 1400 CE. Some added lace and buttons and tried to make them pretty and even more special. It caught on.
Today, sending Valentine's cards on February 14th, to celebrate friendship and love, has become a custom in many countries including England, France, Canada, and the United States.