The Story of Valentine's Day Book

Valentine's Day wasn't always a time for pink cupcakes and mushy greeting cards. Most scholars say this love-focused day leapt gleefully from the Roman holiday Lupercalia, a festival celebrated more than 2,000 years ago to mark the beginning of spring. After Christianity came to Rome, the Church decided to use this day to honour a priest instead. They renamed the holiday "St. Valentine's Day", and changed the date to February 14. The Story of Valentine's Day, artfully illustrated by Susan Estelle Kwas, paints the history of this age-old occasion in a style and presentation that's as straight as a Cupid's arrow. Children will learn about the mysterious character Valentine, how the tradition of the day spread to other countries, and when the very first valentine was written. If inspired, they can make their own old-fashioned valentines and sugar cookies with the instructions in the back! (Ages 8 and older)Read More