Why do we celebrate Love on Valentines? By TJ Cheux

TJ Cheux
Feb 10
2 min read

Why do we celebrate Love on Valentines? By TJ Cheux

Firstly, let me explain why Love is being targeted. It’s the opposite of Hatred. The press, the politics and all the polarization of our world do not always seek to celebrate Love. As we approach Valentine’s Day this week it may well be worth approaching the origins of the celebration, the alternative festivals and the historical significance of Love in February.

What baffled me as I began to explore this tradition of a celebration was the festival of Lykaia an Arcadian festival which was historically a time of transformation. The historical myth is that men would feed on meet and become wolves for a year in the wilderness before returning to human form. In line perhaps with the maturity of becoming a man and the puberty process. A literal feasting season of wolf hunting and meat eating. Not so loving. Not so compassionate. Certainly not very Feminine!

Out of the Festival of Lykaia legend would have it that the festival of Lupercalia was born. This festival was created to make space for the purification of souls and the opportunity for fertility to take place. It was somewhat of a contrasting theme to hunting, maturing and becoming wolf like. It was more of a celebration of Holiness and new life through a more humane celebration. It is also considered to be a time when the celebration of Roman tradition and patriotism may take place. A symbolic moment in terms of Rome placing itself on the map and seeking to establish itself outside of Pagan culture. Creating a more Roman culture.

As we explore and learn more about the history and truth of Saint Valentine we often forget the man, the myth and the legend. Who was Saint Valentine? The Catholic Church attributes three different Saints of which two are commonly believed to be the same person. Yet, Saint Valentine, if believed to be true, was fighting for marriages, a Christian stoic seeking to support and help disciple couples in their marriages. In fact, Saint Valentine was so much about the subject of human love that he was attributed to have written a love letter to the daughter of his jailer before he was put to death. He left her a love note saying “Your Valentine!”

Whatever you get up to this Valentines just let’s not be wolf like, purity bound or commercially loving. Let’s be loving authentically ourselves, our communities and our futures. Remember nurturing the self, caging the wolf, purifying the soul and loving on purpose are not bad things. As Martin Luther King is famously attributed to saying Darkness is too heavier a burden to bare. Love is my choice. Let’s choose Love this Valentines.

Reference

Article Title: Valentine’s Day Had a Dark, Bloody Precursor

Author: Gregory Wakeman (https://www.history.com/authors/gregory-wakeman)

Website Name

History URL

https://www.history.com/articles/dark-truth-valentines-day-lupercalia

Date Accessed

February 10, 2026

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Original Published Date

January 30, 2026