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Did you know?
The origin of Valentine's Day has nothing to do with Saint Valentine, but rather with the Lupercalia festival in ancient Rome. Blood from
animal sacrifices was smeared across the foreheads of members of the Luperci - the brothers of the wolf - who then dressed in goatskins
(to imitate the wolf-god Lupercus) and ran through the streets wielding whips attempting to beat and ensnare the objects of their desire.
However, with the rise of Christianity, the meaning of the festival slowly shifted through the centuries towards sanctified
monogamous love. Once adopted by the European aristocracy, scented gifts, decorations and the drawing of "valentines" (also derived from
ancient traditions) became the norm.
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