If the origin of Valentine’s Day was a Facebook relationship status, it would read, “it’s kinda complicated.” 

The meaning of Valentine’s Day has changed drastically throughout the years. While the “lovey-dovey” holiday we know today is filled with chocolates and love, back when it originated, the holiday was celebrated for a different reason.

In ancient Rome, word spread that there were two men who loved each other. However, due to the time period, this wasn’t acceptable. As a result, on Feb. 14, it was believed that the Catholic Church had chosen this specific day to celebrate the men being executed. 

Another story surrounding the holiday is of a man who was in the practice of writing love letters. Under the name St. Valentine, he wrote the first “Valentine Letter ” to a young girl he happened to be madly in love with. Sadly, she didn’t love him in the ways he loved her, leading to him torturing and imprisoning her. 

If it makes this dark tale better, for his crimes, he was sentenced to his death. 

While it is unknown whether these countless stories are accurately depicted, nevertheless, Valentine’s Day used to be a day full of death and negativity for many people.

However, the holiday is more appealing to people today. 

We usually celebrate Valentine’s Day with chocolate, cards, balloons, and candy. Valentine’s day should be a day where you appreciate the people around you. While there are some people who find the holiday “sappy” or “depressing,” the day is centered mainly around love. 

Valentine’s Day can be a day to yourself and you should be able to do whatever you want. There’s a lot of different perspectives on Valentine’s Day. It’s all about what you make about the holiday, and what you choose to do on it. 

Some people sit at home on the couch crying while watching The Notebook or Dirty Dancing; and that’s okay, because that’s definitely not what I did… 

On the bright side, at least it’s not a day of death.