Colors of Valentine’s Day
Graphic by Morgan Covert
It’s February and Walgreen’s looks like cupid threw up in it. The isles are decked in reds for passion and love as well as whites for purity and innocence. So where did all these colors come from? And why are they considered a universal color of Valentine’s day?
It all starts with St. Valentine. There’s a lot of different myths and legends about him, but one of the most popular comes from the Catholic Church. According to the editors from History.com, St. Valentine was beheaded after illegally marrying young couples after Emperor Claudius II declared young men more useful for war than marriage.
February 14 is also a little muddy. Some say it was the day St. Valentine was beheaded while others say that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.
Cupid, the fat baby angel we’ve come to love, was actually a depiction of the love God, Eros. At first, he was thought to connect lost souls and reunite love, but as time went on, he eventually got the mischievous name that we now know him to have.
But why red, pink, and white? According to Colorcombos.com, red symbolizes energy, passion, and deep love. Traditionally, it is reserved for intimate, romantic relationships. White symbolizes spiritual love, purity, reverence, and humility. And pink? The perfect middle ground. It’s mostly used for friends and family—love, not lust. Pink speaks of affection, sweetness, and understanding. Since pink is actually created by combining red and white, some consider pink to be the representation of innocence and virginity. Light pink can represent grace, gentility, admiration, and friendship. Dark pink, on the other hand, leans more toward gratitude, appreciation, and thankfulness.
There are more than just red, pink, and white for Valentine’s day. Lavender is an announcement that the giver has fallen in love with the recipient at first sight. Coral is the color of desire and orange, the color of enthusiasm and fascination. Yellow is meant for gladness, joy, and friendship and peach for sympathy, sincerity, gratitude, and modesty.
Valentine’s day doesn’t have to just be for love, but also for friendship and family. Spread a little love and maybe you’ll just get some in return.