Marion Faller (1941-2014)

Valentine's Day, a holiday whose origins date back to the late medieval period, started as a religious holiday. Many historians are unsure about which saint the holiday honors since the Catholic Church recognizes three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.  The traditional celebration of Valentine's Day is said to have taken the place of an outlawed pagan holiday known as Lupercalia, a Roman fertility festival during the 5th century. Throughout the Medieval period and English Renaissance the culture of the royal court helped set in foundation the holiday we celebrate today. During this time the tradition of sending poems and notes to an admirer took hold and can been seen referenced in works such as Hamlet (1600-1601) and the nursery rhyme Gammer Gurton's Garland (1784).

The Valentine's Day we know today has slowly been commercialized over the centuries. Today the day represents flowers, cupid, hearts, chocolates and teddy bears. In classrooms children are encouraged to bring Valentine’s cards and candy for every one of their classmates even though they may not fully understand why they're doing so. As this holiday slowly approaches, commercials can be seen advertising the latest jewelry to impress your sweetheart while supermarkets stock up on all kinds of cards for the last minute shopper. 

The subject of this photo, Parkside Candies in Buffalo, illustrates this commercial celebration with attractive displays of all sorts of sweets to buy as an expression of love. This candy shop was founded in 1927 by the Kaiser family and is now run by the Buffamonte family. What shot this candy parlor into local fame was their signature creation of sponge candy. For one month each year, this shop decorates in red, pink, hearts, and cupid to convince you to show your loved ones, through the sweetness of candy, that they matter to you.

Label Texts by Angelica M. Rodriguez

For Adults: Valentine's Day has been commercialized into a day of hearts, chocolates, and roses all to show special people that you care about them. However, its origins date back to the 5th century when it started off as a pagan fertility festival.  During the English Renaissance, it was transformed into a religious holiday to replace the outlawed festival. Although historians do not know which saint the day honors, it is one of the most universally celebrated holidays during the year as a day to express affection and love.

For kids: Do you love chocolate? How about hearts and the color red? Does your teacher buy cards and candies for everyone in class? If so, Valentine's Day is the holiday for you! You may recognize this day by the heart shaped candy boxes and all the teddy bears on display when you go shopping with your family. How do you celebrate this holiday? Do you have any family traditions?