Spain also celebrates Valentine's Day “El día de los enamorados”

Valentine's Day is a day when loved ones give each other extra attention with gifts, flowers, or cards. After Pope Gelasius I called in 496 that February 14 would be the day of Saint Valentine, Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14. San Valentín, as the day is called in Spanish, is a day where loved ones give each other extra attention but nowadays it is actually more of a commercial day than a love day. Yet for many people the day has extra meaning.

Originally, Valentine's Day was the day on which someone could declare anonymous love to another by sending flowers, chocolate or presents without mentioning their name. For example, the recipient or recipient had to guess who the love goods came from and that made the day extra exciting.

Nowadays, certainly from a commercial point of view, the emphasis is more on the day that loved ones give each other something to put an extra emphasis on "loving". Especially in the United States, Valentine's Day is exploited quite commercially, but countries such as Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium are not inferior to that. Here too you can find small special gifts everywhere or flowers or…. too many to mention actually.

History

On Wikipedia you can read that no biographical details are known about St. Valentine. In the eighteenth century it was suggested that the Valentine's Day was set on February 14 to replace the old Lupercalia, a Roman (and perhaps even older) fertility celebration. Lupercalia was celebrated on February 15 (!) In honor of fertility god Lupercus. This was an important celebration for the Romans at the time. The festival was most likely celebrated near the caves where Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were raised by wolves.

According to the story, the names of unmarried young women were thrown into a large bowl. Unmarried men were then allowed to take turns taking a name. During the party, the two young people who were linked to each other were each other's partners. When Christianity emerged in Europe, this pagan festival was banned by the church and Lupercalia was replaced by Valentine's Day.

Spain

San Valentín was introduced in Spain more or less in the twentieth century with the idea of stimulating the sale of gifts. It is even claimed that the El Corte Ingles store chain in Spain started introducing San Valentín in order to stimulate sales (successfully).

All in all, 14 February is the day to give your lover a token of appreciation and to declare love again. Feliz San Valentín!

acknowledgment: Spanjevandaag.com