Valentines Day In Datchet
While we’re not hosting specific events for Valentine’s Day in Datchet this 2025 at Ditton Manor, our sister properties are offering extraordinary packages and dining experiences that you won’t want to miss.
When Is Valentines Day 2025?
Valentine’s Day in 2024 falls on Friday, February 14th.
Valentine’s Day UK: History and Facts
There is no doubting the popularity of Valentine’s Day in the UK has increased in exposure over the years especially since the development and growth of the internet has created so many more digital opportunities to commemorate Valentine’s Day.
The day itself is widely understood to be held as a martyrdom commemoration of a couple of different Saints named Valentine who both happened to have met their ends on the date of February 14th.
But as with all traditions that hold their roots antiquity, so too is there far more to the emergence and evolution of St Valentine’s Day, both here in the UK and across the globe that what is widely known.
Historical evidence, however, is sadly lacking, so it’ll be up to you as our readers to decide which version of St Valentine’s Day history you prefer to believe!
Valentine’s Day: A Brief History
Valentines Day as we know it initially took root and evolved from the Pagan fertility festival called Lupercalia which was celebrated in Rome between the 13th and 15th of February each year. The festival celebrated fertility, and involved naked crowds parading the streets. Leather whips were used to “spank” young women as this was widely believed to improve their child baring development.
Two saints both named Valentine died on February the 14th and became associated as a part of why St Valentine’s Day is celebrated, namely St Valentine of Rome and St Valentine of Terni.
Historically, there have actually been several St Valentine’s (or variations of) from a number of different countries including Italy, Spain, Russia and Hungary.
The remains of St Valentine of Rome can be found in several reliquaries in Europe including churches in Ireland, Scotland, Italy, England, France and the Czech Republic.
Romance was first attached to the day for a couple of reasons. Firstly, in the middle-ages it was believed that most birds coupled and mated in mid-February. Secondly, prose from famous UK poet Geoffrey Chaucer was said to be the reason why gifts of affection were traded on what became know as St Valentines Day.
If you take similar days of love throughout the year, one could actually celebrate St Valentines Day on several dates throughout the year with commemorations of St Valentine Saints occurring in January, February, June, July and November.
Richard Cadbury was the first to commercialise chocolates for Valentine’s Day in the UK in 1861 with beautiful reusable heat shaped boxes containing chocolates in the shape of hearts and cupids. The boxes were then advertised as being for use to store romantic mementos or love letters.