Valentine’s Day Trivia Questions on All Things Love

How much do you know about this popular romantic holiday?

Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14

Which coincides with which ancient Roman festival? Lupercalia, a fertility festival. The festival was celebrated in honor of Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome.

How did Valentine’s Day get its name?

The truth about Valentine’s Day is a bit mysterious. We know it’s named after St. Valentine, but who was he? Several legends explain who St. Valentine was, with one of the most popular theories being he was a priest who officiated the weddings of soldiers during the third century AD. During this time, Roman emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men in hopes of creating stronger soldiers. Legend has it that Claudius found out about St. Valentine’s actions and put him to death, making St. Valentine a martyr for love.

During which century did Valentine’s Day start to be associated

With romance and love? The 14th century

Who is believed to have written the oldest Valentine

That still exists toda Love Poems Charles, Duke of Orleans. The Valentine is believed to be a poem he wrote to his wife in 1415. Yep, a love poem was used as a Valentine!

Who is credited with publishing the first commercial Valentine in the US

Cards Esther Howland. She started selling Valentines in her hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts, and was nicknamed “The Mother of the American Valentine.” She used colorful paper and lace to create her Valentine’s Day cards.

What is Cupid the god of?

Love Cupid is the Roman counterpart to which Greek god Eros.

Cupid is believed to carry arrows that have tips made of which 2 materials?

Gold and lead. According to legend, if Cupid strikes someone with a gold arrow, they are filled with desire and love for their partner. If Cupid strikes them with a lead arrow, they fall out of love.

The heart is a popular symbol used on Valentine’s Day.

How did it get its shape? There are several theories surrounding how the heart symbol came to be. One states that the heart symbol is based off the seedpod of silphium, an ancient plant believed to help with conception, love, and sex. Another theory states artist and scientists in the Middle Ages attempted to draw the heart the way it was described by ancient scholars, and the drawing stuck.

Red roses are often given as a sign of love and romance on Valentine’s Day.

Which Greek goddess is associated with red roses? Aphrodite. If red roses aren’t your thing, don’t worry. There are plenty of other rose colors that symbolize things like friendship and joy.