February 14th is generally celebrated worldwide as Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine. The day celebrates love and affection. We'll talk about the origins of the feast and other facts about the feast and its celebration. A number of theories exist about the origin of Valentine's Day. According to The New York Times , Valentine's Day is celebrated today thanks to Pope Gelasius I and Saint Valentine of Terni. It is believed that Pope Gelasius I designated Valentine's Day to replace Lupercalia - an ancient Roman festival. Lupercalia was a debaucherous pagan feast which was celebrated at the eve of spring, in which a ritual was performed in a bid to promote fertility. It involved naked men whipping women with blood-soaked hides of sacrificed goats and dogs (until they bled). Men would then randomly pick women's names to decide who would be paired up for the rest of the festival. If the match was successful, they would be paired up for life.
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