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News & SocietyMedium

Valentine's Day: Between Legends and Romantic Traditions

Saint Valentine, a Roman priest martyred around 269, the ancient Lupercalia, Chaucer's poem in 1382 and the oldest known valentine (Charles of Orleans, 1415): 15 questions on the real origins of the feast.

15

Questions

2

Minutes

Tip: Use keys 1-4 to answer quickly

The 15 quiz questions

Question 1 : Around what period did Saint Valentine, the Christian martyr who gave his name to this holiday, live?

Possible answers:

  • 1st century
  • 3rd century
  • 5th century
  • 7th century

Explanation: Saint Valentine was a 3rd-century Roman priest who secretly married Christian couples despite the emperor's ban. He was martyred around 269 AD and associated from the Middle Ages onwards with courtly love.

Question 2 : Which ancient Roman festival is often considered the ancestor of Valentine's Day?

Possible answers:

  • Bacchanalia
  • Saturnalia
  • Lupercalia
  • Floralia

Explanation: Lupercalia was celebrated from February 13 to 15 in honour of the god Faunus. This fertility festival included purification rituals and lottery draws to pair couples.

Question 3 : Which country popularized the « language of flowers » in the 19th century, making the red rose the emblem of passionate love?

Possible answers:

  • France
  • England
  • Italy
  • Spain

Explanation: In France, the 19th-century craze for floriography (the language of flowers), codified in handbooks such as Charlotte de La Tour's « Le Langage des Fleurs » (1819), established the red rose as a universal symbol of passionate love, a code adopted throughout Europe.

Question 4 : Which 14th-century English writer helped popularise Valentine's Day as a feast of lovers in his works?

Possible answers:

  • Edmund Spenser
  • William Shakespeare
  • John Milton
  • Geoffrey Chaucer

Explanation: Geoffrey Chaucer, in his poem 'Parliament of Fowls' (c. 1382), mentions Valentine's Day as the day when birds choose their partner, thus associating this date with courtly love.

Question 5 : What are the cards traditionally exchanged on Valentine's Day called?

Possible answers:

  • Amourettes
  • Sweethearts
  • Lovecards
  • Valentines

Explanation: « Valentines » are decorative cards expressing love or affection. The oldest known valentine dates from 1415 (Charles of Orléans, handwritten from the Tower of London). The first printed cards appeared in England at the end of the 18th century, and the first American commercial valentine was created by Esther Howland in 1847.

Question 6 : In Roman mythology, which god is traditionally associated with Valentine's Day?

Possible answers:

  • Apollo
  • Mars
  • Hymen
  • Cupid

Explanation: Cupid (Eros in Greek) is the god of love depicted as a winged child armed with a bow and arrows. His arrows are said to spark love in the hearts of those he strikes.

Question 7 : In what year was the first commercial valentine produced in the United States?

Possible answers:

  • 1823
  • 1847
  • 1865
  • 1889

Explanation: Esther Howland, nicknamed 'the mother of the American valentine', created the first commercial card in 1847. She used lace, ribbons and colourful images imported from Europe.

Question 8 : In which country was « White Day », celebrated on March 14 in response to Valentine's Day, created?

Possible answers:

  • China
  • Japan
  • Thailand
  • South Korea

Explanation: « White Day » was created in 1978 by Japanese confectioner Ishimura Manseido. On March 14, men give white gifts (white chocolate, marshmallows, jewelry) to women who gave them something on February 14. The tradition was later adopted by South Korea and Taiwan.

Question 9 : What colour, other than red, is traditionally associated with Valentine's Day?

Possible answers:

  • Pink
  • Purple
  • Orange
  • Gold

Explanation: Pink symbolises tenderness, gentle affection and budding love, complementing red which represents passion. This colour association dates back to Victorian traditions of the language of flowers.

Question 10 : Which Roman emperor allegedly banned young soldiers from marrying, leading Saint Valentine to marry them in secret?

Possible answers:

  • Nero
  • Augustus
  • Diocletian
  • Claudius II

Explanation: Claudius II the Goth believed that unmarried soldiers were more effective in battle as they were less attached to their homes. Saint Valentine defied this ban by continuing to celebrate clandestine Christian marriages.

Question 11 : In popular tradition, seeing what type of bird on the morning of Valentine's Day predicts the type of future spouse?

Possible answers:

  • Swallow
  • Robin
  • Nightingale
  • Dove

Explanation: This medieval superstition claimed that a robin foretold a marriage with a sailor, a sparrow with a poor but happy man, and a goldfinch with a rich man. These beliefs were widespread in England.

Question 12 : What approximate percentage of roses sold annually in the United States is sold during the Valentine's Day period?

Possible answers:

  • 15%
  • 25%
  • 35%
  • 45%

Explanation: According to the Society of American Florists, about 250 million roses are imported specifically for Valentine's Day in the United States, roughly a quarter of annual consumption. It is the most important floral commercial event of the year.

Question 13 : What is the name of the Welsh tradition similar to Valentine's Day, celebrated on January 25?

Possible answers:

  • Dydd Santes Dwynwen
  • Sant Jordi (Catalonia)
  • Dia dos Namorados (Brazil)
  • Tu B'Av (Israel)

Explanation: Dydd Santes Dwynwen honours Saint Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of lovers. This tradition involves the exchange of carved wooden spoons, symbols of commitment and sincere affection.

Question 14 : In which Italian city can one visit the presumed tomb of Saint Valentine?

Possible answers:

  • Naples
  • Verona
  • Terni
  • Rome

Explanation: Terni, in Umbria, claims to be the birthplace of Saint Valentine and houses his basilica where his relics rest. The city organises an important festival every year in honour of the patron saint of lovers.

Question 15 : What was the name of the first box of chocolates created specially for Valentine's Day in 1868?

Possible answers:

  • Fancy Box
  • Valentine's Delight
  • Love Collection
  • Sweet Heart Box

Explanation: Richard Cadbury created the 'Fancy Box', a heart-shaped chocolate box decorated with cupids and roses. This marketing innovation revolutionised the chocolate industry and established a lasting tradition.

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