Why We Celebrate Valentine’s Day and How to Make It Special?

Everyone knows that the 14th of February is Valentine’s Day. However, not many appear to know about the history of this tradition. You might have wondered, “Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day?” Well, you are not alone. Many people participate in the celebrations without knowing the reason the tradition exists in the first place.

This article will explain how it has developed into the celebration we are familiar with. Moreover, it will also give you tips on how to make it memorable for you and your loved ones.

What is Valentine’s Day?

Let us first dive into the story behind Valentine’s celebration. This holiday got its name from St. Valentine or Valentinus, a Roman Catholic priest who lived in Rome during the 3rd century. During his lifetime, the pagan Emperor Claudius II made strict laws that prevented Christians from marrying since the number of converts was increasing. However, St. Valentine started to marry the soldiers secretly, and since then, he has been associated with love. 

The secret eventually got out, leading to St. Valentine’s imprisonment. Even in jail, he continued to care for other prisoners and the blind daughter of the jailor. According to the stories, he cured her blindness as his last act before his execution on February 14, 270 A.D. When do we celebrate Valentine’s Day? That’s right, the day of St. Valentine’s death!

Many find the reason for celebrating Valentine’s day on that specific day a bit surprising. After all, lo

ve is not typically linked with death. However, nowadays this special holiday is commonly seen as an observance of the expression of romantic love. However, other forms of love are celebrated on this day as well. Giving flowers, chocolates, and gifts are typically associated with this holiday.

Why is Valentine’s Day celebrated?

But why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day now? The medieval poet Chaucer was the first to connect St. Valentine to romantic love. This marked the start of courtly love, a ritual about expressing love and admiration, typically in secret, that spread across Europe. 

These days, the common Valentine’s Day celebration looks very different but is still connected to its roots. The day offers a chance to celebrate how truly special love is. It is not always romantic, but it emphasizes all forms of love and love’s place in the world regardless of what kind of love it might be. This is also an opportunity for couples to celebrate their relationship apart from anniversaries.

10 reasons to celebrate Valentine’s Day

Let us take a closer look at why we should celebrate the special day. Here are specific reasons why Valentine’s Day is celebrated across the globe:

1. Creativity

The day offers a way to channel creativity while expressing love. Is there anything more inspiring than love itself? Doubtful. People pour their heart and soul into planning events, buying gifts, or baking goodies for their loved ones on this day.

2. Tradition

People find joy in traditions, but for a tradition to continue it has to be celebrated regularly. Being able to look forward to the traditions associated with Valentine’s Day is perhaps one of the many reasons why we celebrate it.

Related Reading: 11 Examples Of Traditional Gender Roles

3. Indulgent

Who doesn’t like an excuse to go all out and be fancy every now and then? It does not have to be expensive, but it is the perfect day to splurge on a special Valentine’s day meal to share with the love of your life.

4. Getaways

While there are plenty of celebrations throughout the year, couples can also take this day as an opportunity to go on a romantic getaway. If you’re single, this is one of the top things to do on Valentine’s Day with friends. Again, it is not necessarily exclusive to romantic love!

5. Confessing

Some people also enjoy taking advantage of the day of love to confess to their loved ones. Even those who are shy can express their admiration anonymously. It is a day to show and receive love, so Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to make that proclamation.

6. Gifts

We rarely have occasions to buy something nice for our loved ones other than Christmas and birthdays. It is not superficial to say that gifts can be the reason why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day. This is the love language of choice for some people.

Related Reading: Creative Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Your Lovely Lady

7. Breather

For some couples, Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to take a breather by simply staying in together. You can relax, cook a nice meal, and even put on a romantic movie to watch together. The important thing is that you get to spend time with each other no matter what activity you have planned.

8. Pamper

While we all like to pamper ourselves, this is a great chance to do it together. Hit the spa, get a massage, and stay at a luxury hotel together. How romantic does that sound?

9. Adventure

Is there something you and your partner have always wanted to do together? If this is the case, grab the opportunity to do it on Valentine’s Day finally.

Watch this video to get some ideas about what to do together on this valentine’s day.

10. Love

Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day? Ultimately, it boils down to this: it’s a day to freely express your love for your friends and partner without feeling weird.

Conversely, it might be the right opportunity to seek relationship counseling with your partner. It takes honesty and effort to improve the current state of a relationship, especially if you want to ensure love and commitment for the long term.

How to celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Now that we have covered the “Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day?” section let us focus on how to go about it. We all have different ways of expressing our love, so the answer to this question will vary wildly.

Are you wondering how to make his Valentine’s Day special? Remember that what matters is showing your appreciation, respect, and affection for the people that matter to you. This can be a romantic dinner, baked goods, store-bought chocolate, or greeting cards. As long as love is at the root of your celebration, it’s sure to be a success. 

Five ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day while on a budget

Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day? The answer is love, not money. You can still celebrate the day of love even when the budget is tight as long as you take cues from these ideas:

1. Passionate kiss

All it takes is to choose the right timing, look deeply into their eyes, and kiss your sweetheart. When done right, they will understand just how much they mean to you.

Related Reading: 8 Men’s Kissing Tips: How to Do It Right!

2. Home-cooked meal

The impact of this effort will be even more deeply felt if you do not cook regularly. There is nothing quite like preparing a meal to nourish your loved one!

3. Poem

Inspire yourself by reading love poems and picking a special piece of paper to write on. You do not have to be Shakespeare! “Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day?” You already know the answer by now: love. Tell them what you love about them.

4. Surprise

You can also express your love for them by surprising them with a happy Valentine’s Day eve date or some other form of celebration. The element of surprise works because everyone likes to feel appreciated when they least expect it.

5. Massage

This is one of the best Valentine’s day celebration ideas on a budget. We all have stress in one way or another. Even without the right equipment, your hands will do the trick!

Related Reading: 150+ Best Hot Romantic Text Messages for Her

FAQs

We have already covered a lot of ground on “How and why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day?” It is time for us to address some of the other frequently asked questions about the 14th of February.

Who started the Valentine’s Day tradition?

Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day in modern times? People attribute it to the touching story of St. Valentine, made popular by Chaucer. It influences lives even now.

Is Valentine’s Day only for romantic love?

Why is Valentine’s day celebrated? Because everyone wants a day to celebrate love in all its glory. This is not limited to romantic love and applies to all kinds and forms out there.

Where is Valentine’s Day celebrated?

Valentine’s Day is celebrated across the globe, although it is especially popular in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. Different countries have different answers to “How and why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day?” It is fun to learn more about the different traditions and customs in Latin countries, Japan, the Middle East, and more.

Takeaway

Celebration of any kind on Valentine’s Day feels good. It is the perfect opportunity to show them how your loved ones mean to you. 

There are many ways to go about it, even when your budget restricts you! Remember that love should always be celebrated, and Valentine’s Day is a nice excuse to go all out, no matter what that might mean for you.

Continue exploring this topic

Talk to our Marriage.com AI Relationship Coach

Chat with me, ask questions and get help

Start Chatting

Marriage.com AI: Your Relationship Guide

Talk through what's on your mind.

Automated

Hi, I'm your relationship guide. What's on your mind?

YOU COULD START WITH

Why do we celebrate Valentine's Day?

How to make Valentine's Day special?

AI guidance only - not therapy. In crisis? Call a helpline or Find a Therapist

Terms

Noah Williams Author

Noah loves to write on matters of the heart and mind. His experiences have taught him that being an honest friend who communicates well and giving importance to self-love can go a long way in maintaining loving relationships. When... Read more he’s not writing or advising people on how to thrive in their relationships, he loves exploring new places with his partner, working out, and pretending that he’s good at cooking exotic stuff. Read less

Marriage.com Assessment

What Help Does Your Relationship Need Most Right Now Quiz

Reviewed byJennifer Schulz, LCSW

Backed by relationship science and evidence-based psychology, this assessment helps identify the area of your relationship that deserves the most attention right now, whether things feel strong or slightly off. Research shows that even healthy relat...

Questions: 20 | Last updated: Jan 23, 2026

Sample Question

When you and your partner talk about something important…

We listen with care — even hard talks feel safe and productive

We try to talk, but lately emotional closeness feels harder to reach

I want to be open, but part of me still guards my heart

Our discussions sometimes spiral or end unresolved

It’s hard to feel close because our physical intimacy hasn’t felt strong lately

We often see things differently about goals or priorities

Take the Quiz Now