How did Valentine's Day start?

Summary

Podcast Summary: Who Smarted? - "How Did Valentine's Day Start?"

Release Date: February 14, 2025
Host: Atomic Entertainment / Starglow Media
Episode Duration: 18:48

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Introduction to Valentine's Day

The episode begins with the Trusty Narrator (00:01) setting the stage for Valentine's Day, highlighting its vibrant symbols like hearts, red and pink decorations, and the essence of expressing love and appreciation to friends and family. The Narrator engages the young audience by prompting them to recall how they celebrate the day, mentioning common traditions such as exchanging Valentine's cards, receiving chocolates, and hosting school parties.

Notable Quote:

Trusty Narrator (00:01): "It's a day when we let our friends and family know how much we care about them."

Meet Cupid

To delve deeper into the origins and significance of Valentine's Day, the Trusty Narrator introduces Cupid (01:35), the iconic baby with wings often seen on Valentine's decorations. Cupid explains his role and characteristics, including his ability to shoot arrows that inspire love.

Notable Quote:

Cupid (01:51): "Greetings, smarty pants. It is I, Cupid, here to help the trusted narrator learn about my favorite holiday, Valentine's Day."

Historical Origins of Valentine's Day

Cupid and the Narrator explore the historical roots of Valentine's Day, tracing its origins back to the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia (05:03). They discuss how Lupercalia celebrated the start of spring and involved rituals that eventually influenced modern Valentine's traditions.

Notable Quote:

Cupid (05:03): "The citizens of ancient Rome had a festival to celebrate the start of spring. Many of our traditions come from this festival."

Saint Valentine and the Evolution of the Holiday

The conversation shifts to Saint Valentine, after whom the holiday is named. They recount the story of Saint Valentine defying Emperor Claudius II's ban on marriages to secretly perform wedding ceremonies, thereby fostering love and connection among couples.

Notable Quote:

Cupid (07:15): "Saint Valentine lived in Rome... he decided to let couples get married in secret."

Valentine's Day Symbols and Their Meanings

Cupid and the Narrator delve into the various symbols associated with Valentine's Day:

• Hearts: Symbolize love and are central to Valentine's imagery.

  Notable Quote:

  Cupid (09:04): "Hearts have been a symbol of love since ancient times."

• Doves: Represent peace and love, continuing as a popular symbol today.

  Notable Quote:

  Cupid (06:14): "Doves were a symbol of love. Some people still use doves or lovebirds today."

• Ribbons and Lace: Historically linked to medieval traditions where ribbons were given for good luck, and lace symbolizing the desire to "capture" someone's heart.

  Notable Quote:

  Cupid (10:06): "The answer is C for good luck."

Valentine's Day Traditions

The episode highlights modern-day Valentine's practices, such as:

• Exchanging Cards and Gifts: Emphasizing the popularity of handmade and store-bought cards, often referred to humorously as a "Hallmark holiday."

  Notable Quote:

  Trusty Narrator (15:01): "Valentine's Day is sarcastically referred to as a Hallmark holiday because so many people buy and exchange Valentine's Day cards made by companies like Hallmark."

• Candy and Chocolates: Discussing why sweets are a staple gift, tying it back to the sweetness of love.

  Notable Quote:

  Cupid (16:22): "Candy is sweet. It's traditional to give something sweet to a sweetheart on Valentine's Day."

• Flowers: Particularly roses, symbolizing beauty and love.

  Notable Quote:

  Trusty Narrator (16:40): "Flowers are pretty, smell great, and let someone know you care about them."

Interactive and Fun Elements

Throughout the episode, the Narrator and Cupid engage the audience with fun trivia questions and playful banter, enhancing the educational experience with humor. For example, they quiz listeners on the origins of Valentine's symbols and traditions, encouraging participation and retention of information.

Notable Quote:

Trusty Narrator (05:47): "Smarty pants, do you know where and when some of the Valentine's Day traditions started? Was it ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, or Ancient Egypt?"

Conclusion and Festive Farewell

As the episode wraps up, the Narrator shares personalized Valentine's messages and celebrates the community of listeners, including shout-outs to fans around the world. The playful interaction continues until the final moments, where credits are given to the creative team behind the episode.

Notable Quote:

Trusty Narrator (17:47): "Happy Valentine's Day, everyone."

Behind the Scenes

The episode concludes with acknowledgments of the team involved in producing the show, including writers, voice actors, and technical staff, cementing the collaborative effort that brings "Who Smarted?" to life.

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Key Takeaways:

• Valentine's Day has deep historical roots tied to ancient Roman festivals and the legacy of Saint Valentine.
• Cupid serves as a fun and engaging mascot symbolizing love and the playful aspect of the holiday.
• Traditional symbols like hearts, doves, ribbons, and flowers carry rich meanings that have evolved over centuries.
• Modern Valentine's practices blend education and entertainment, making learning about history and traditions enjoyable for kids.
• Interactive elements and humor enhance the educational value, ensuring that young listeners remain engaged and informed.

Conclusion

"Who Smarted?" successfully combines humor, storytelling, and factual information to explore the origins and traditions of Valentine's Day. By featuring characters like Cupid and engaging the audience with trivia and interactive questions, the podcast makes learning about history and cultural practices both fun and memorable for children and families alike.

Transcript

[Trusty Narrator]

And now it's time for who's Smarted? Psst. Hey, smarty pants. You may or may not be aware, but there is a special holiday coming soon. It's the one where you might see a lot of hearts and red and pink things. It's a day when we let our friends and family know how much we care about them. Any idea what holiday I'm talking about? Go ahead and shout it out. That's right. Valentine's Day. Smarty pants. Do you know some of the ways people celebrate Valentine's Day? How do you celebrate Valentine's Day? I'm hearing some great answers. You can give and receive Valentine's Day cards to and from your friends and family. Or maybe you'll get a box of candy like chocolates or those little hearts with cute things written on them. Or you might have a little party in school. Of course, some of you might not celebrate Valentine's Day at all. After all, it's not one of the major holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, or even Halloween. Personally, I enjoy Valentine's Day because I get to throw a Valentine's Day party for my who Smarted friends. And every year, I order a special heart shaped pizza from my favorite pizzeria and a heart shaped cake from my favorite bakery.

[Chet Nickerson]

Oh, is it a heart shaped meat cake?

[Trusty Narrator]

No, chocolate. Oh, sorry, Grandma. I'm afraid more people prefer chocolate cakes to meat cakes.

[Chet Nickerson]

Oh, that's okay. Besides, I brought a box of meat cupcakes for everyone to try.

[Trusty Narrator]

That sounds delicious. You can put those in the oven to heat up. In the meantime, I've invited someone who knows a lot about Valentine's Day to help us learn more about this special day. Ooh, I think I hear them now.

[Cupid]

Greetings, smarty pants. It is I, Cupid, here to help the trusted narrator learn about my favorite holiday, Valentine's Day.

[Trusty Narrator]

Smartypants, you may have seen Cupid on Valentine's Day Cards or decorations. Even though he looks like a baby with wings. No offense, Cupid is an important symbol of Valentine's Day.

[Cupid]

No offense taken. I am a baby with wings who can talk and shoot arrows and play the harp.

[Trusty Narrator]

Exactly. And today you'll be helping us answer questions like, what is the true meaning of Valentine's Day? When and where did the Valentine's Day traditions we all know come from? And why is a flying harp playing arrow shooting baby the mascot of Valentine's Day? It's time for a big whiff of science history. But hopefully not Cupid's diaper. On who's smarted?

[Chet Nickerson]

Who's Smarted. Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up everyone. We make smarting lots of fun. But who's smart?

[Trusty Narrator]

And hey smarty parents. I know the struggle of wanting to create the best future for the children in your life. That's why I'm thrilled to share my experience with IXL learning. Recently, the 8 year old child of one of our main who smarted writers started struggling with math. They tried everything and felt helpless. Then I told them about our partner IXL and it changed everything. Iexcel is an online learning program that covers math, link, language arts, science and social studies from Pre K to 12th grade. What sets it apart is how it adapts to each child's needs. His daughter loves the positive feedback and fun challenges. And the best part? IXL's research backed approach has made a world of difference in her confidence and her grades. It's like having a personal tutor, but at a fraction of the cost. A month of IXL costs less than one hour with a tutor each. Even before our smarty family 20% discount. Don't let your child fall behind. Join the millions of families benefiting from IXL. Visit ixl.com smarted and get 20% off your membership. That's ixl.com smarted for 20% off. Give your child the gift of learning with IXL. So Cupid Valentine's Day is really fun to celebrate. I love to give and get cards and candy, but what are we celebrating on this day?

[Cupid]

Well, Trustee Valentine's Day is a celebration of friendship and love. Of course you can let your friends and family know you love and care about them every day. But Valentine's Day is a special day to remind you of your loved ones.

[Trusty Narrator]

Which is why I'm throwing a who's Smarter themed Valentine's Day party for all my smarty friends. They've helped me learn about science and history, joined me on fun smarting adventures, and have helped make Whosmarted such a fun show to listen to. By the way, smarty pants, do you know where and when some of the Valentine's Day traditions started? Was it ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, or Ancient Egypt?

[Cupid]

If you said ancient Rome, you're right. The citizens of ancient Rome had a festival to celebrate the start of spring. It happened around the time we celebrate Valentine's Day today, and many of our traditions come from this festival. By the way, did you know that I Cupid and the ancient Roman God of love.

[Trusty Narrator]

You're a God? Whoops. Sorry about the diaper joke earlier.

[Cupid]

Oh I. I didn't hear it. What was it?

[Trusty Narrator]

Oh, nothing. Never mind. Anyway, you were saying, at the ancient.

[Cupid]

Roman festival celebrating the start of spring, boys picked the names of girls from an urn to find a partner for festival events. Sometimes festival partners even fell in love.

[Trusty Narrator]

Aw.

[Cupid]

If your class at school has a box for Valentine's Day cards that relates to this tradition.

[Trusty Narrator]

Of course. Today, the Valentine's Day box is about having fun with friends and classmates. When I was in school, I remember making special valentines for my friends. I drew pictures of a heart shaped pizza and wrote, valentine, you have a pizza, my heart. Get it?

[Cupid]

Yeah. Give me a break.

[Trusty Narrator]

I was 8.

[Cupid]

I didn't say anything. Anyway, back in ancient Rome, the symbol of love was a bird whose name rhymes with love. Any guess what it is?

[Trusty Narrator]

A bird that rhymes with love. Rhymes with love. Hmm. It's not a pelican. Or any seabird for that matter. Blue jay, robin, hawk. Smartypants, I hope you're better at this than me. Oh, wait a second. I got it. Dove. Dove. Rhymes with love.

[Cupid]

There you go. Doves were a symbol of love. And some people still use doves or lovebirds as a symbol of love for Valentine's Day today.

[Trusty Narrator]

Right. But you can put anything you want on your Valentine's Day card. So pizza is okay, too?

[Cupid]

Sure, why not?

[Trusty Narrator]

Now, wait a second. True or false, Smarty pants? The spring festival was always called Valentine's Day. The answer is false.

[Cupid]

The ancient Roman festival of health and fertility was called Lupercalia. Ah.

[Trusty Narrator]

So how did Valentine's Day get its name? Smarty Pants isn't named after a dog, a king, or a saint. The answer is a saint.

[Cupid]

Saint Valentine lived in Rome, but he lived a long time after the ancient spring festival. There were a lot of stories about St. Valentine's life. One involved an emperor named Claudius II. Claudius II didn't want people to get married. He thought single men made better soldiers because they wouldn't have a family to worry about.

[Trusty Narrator]

Um, that does not sound like a great beginning for a holiday about love.

[Cupid]

I'm getting into it. As you can probably guess, St. Valentine wasn't too happy about all this. So he decided to let couples get married in secret.

[Trusty Narrator]

Ah, now we're talking. By the way, I wrote a special Valentine's Day poem for all of the smarty pants. Roses are red, violets are blue. I don't even like pizza as much as I like you.

[Cupid]

Could use a little work, but I guess it's the thought that counts.

[Trusty Narrator]

Speaking of poems, who was the first person to write Valentine's Day poems. Was it St. Valentine, Cupid, or the Duke of Orleans?

[Cupid]

While Valentine's Day may be named after Saint Valentine, and I, Cupid, am the God of love. The Duke of Orleans, a French nobleman, is believed to have written the first Valentine's Day poems in letters to his wife.

[Trusty Narrator]

Aw, that's so sweet.

[Cupid]

Yeah, that's the good part. The bad part is he wrote those poems while he was in jail.

[Trusty Narrator]

Oh, well, at least he had plenty of time to think up some good rhymes. Say, that rhymes. You know what else rhymes? Heart and smart and something else. But all kidding aside, why are there so many hearts on Valentine's Day? What is the central organ in your body that pumps blood have to do with heart? Love, Smarty pants. Do you know?

[Cupid]

Well, hearts have been a symbol of love since ancient times. Just like me, right?

[Trusty Narrator]

Except you don't look a day over one year old. No offense.

[Cupid]

None taken. Anyway, the reason why hearts are a symbol of love and by far the most popular Valentine's Day symbol is that when you give someone a heart shaped valentine, it's like telling them that you're giving them your heart.

[Trusty Narrator]

Aw. And we can't live without our hearts, so that makes it extra special. Of course, some valentines have ribbons on the heart. Wouldn't aortas make more sense?

[Cupid]

Scientifically, yes, but ribbons on Valentine hearts is a tradition dating back to the middle ages when knights competed in jousting tournaments, the loved ones often gave them ribbons.

[Trusty Narrator]

Hmm. Why would knights loved ones give them ribbons? Is it A, to put bows in their horses manes, B, to make their armor look fancy, or C for good luck?

[Cupid]

While the answer is C for good luck, I suppose knights could use the ribbon to decorate their armor or horses.

[Trusty Narrator]

I've also seen valentine with fancy white lace. Does that have any special meaning or tradition too? Or does it just look nice?

[Cupid]

Well, the word lace comes from the Latin word laqueus, which means to snare or to net.

[Trusty Narrator]

Ah, so giving someone a valentine with lace on it means that you're hoping to capture their heart.

[Cupid]

Exactly. Although I can also help with that.

[Trusty Narrator]

I was wondering why you were carrying a bow and arrow. Although I'm not sure what archery has to do with love or that it's safe letting a baby use a bow and arrow.

[Cupid]

All right, enough with the baby jokes. The reason I have a bow and.

[Trusty Narrator]

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[Trusty Narrator]

Now back to who's Smarted hey, easy with that bow and arrow, Cupid. You almost hit me.

[Cupid]

What's wrong, trusty? You don't want to fall in love?

[Trusty Narrator]

Huh?

[Cupid]

According to the legend, anyone I hit with one of my arrows falls in love.

[Trusty Narrator]

Whoa. That sounds like a pretty amazing power for Valentine's Day.

[Cupid]

It is. I'm quite the matchmaker. Of course, many people celebrate Valentine's Day by showing love to friends and family.

[Trusty Narrator]

Exactly. I made some fun valentines for my friends to show I care. For example, I made one for Chet that says, breaking news, you're a great friend. Oh, and this one for my niece Gia that says, whoa, you're awesome.

[Cupid]

Those are great. Trusty. And even though early valentines usually contain serious messages, you're certainly not alone in sending funny valentines. Also, I appreciate that you made your own Valentines, but lots of people also buy their Valentine's cards and gifts in stores. In fact, Valentine's Day is sarcastically referred to as a Hallmark holiday because so many people buy and exchange Valentine's Day cards made by companies like Hallmark.

[Trusty Narrator]

Smarty Pit. True or false? Hallmark is the largest greeting card company in the world. The answer is true. They're also the oldest, as they were founded in 1910.

[Cupid]

Yep, but not as old as me.

[Trusty Narrator]

I gotta say, it's weird talking to a really old baby who's also a God, but it's also pretty sweet. Oh, and speaking of, there's something else we need to talk about that I'm sure a lot of smarty pants look forward to on Valentine's Day? Go ahead and shout it out. Meat cake? No, not that I'm talking about candy. But why is candy, in particular chocolates, such a big part of Valentine's Day? Is it because A, people need to get rid of leftover Halloween candy, B, candy is sweet, or C it would be gross to give out meat cake?

[Cupid]

Obviously, the answer is B, candy is sweet. It's traditional to give something sweet to a sweetheart on Valentine's Day. And like everything else on Valentine's Day. The heart theme is strong and as chocolates come in heart shaped boxes. Or you can get candy hearts with cute messages written on them.

[Trusty Narrator]

Oh, this one says be mine. I think I'll give it to the pizza when it gets here.

[Cupid]

You, my friend, might have a pizza problem. Besides, candies given flowers are also a big part of the Valentine's Day tradition. Flowers are pretty, smell great, and let someone know you care about them.

[Trusty Narrator]

Yep, I made a giant 3D heart out of roses that I'm gonna give out to all my friends at the party. But for now, I want to hang it high up on the wall. Oh, say Cupid, would you mind flying up and hanging this flower heart for me?

[Cupid]

Sure thing, trusty.

[Trusty Narrator]

There, that looks great. I love it.

[Cupid]

Well, as you know, love is my specialty.

[Trusty Narrator]

Ooh, I hope that's the heart shaped pizza.

[Chet Nickerson]

This is Chet Nickerson reporting live from the trusty narrator's Valentine's Day party, where a flying baby carrying a bow and arrow can be seen hovering above the living room meat cake. Um, sorry, this reporter is not a big fan of meat ca. Actually, I'd love some meat cake.

[Cupid]

Works every time.

[Trusty Narrator]

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone. A big overseas shout out to smarty fan Evelyn in York, United Kingdom. We're so happy to have you smarting with us. And we love that you love learning new things. Also, you said you wanted to know who invented chocolate. Well, we did a fun chocolate episode so you and all the other sweet tooths listening can learn all about it. Happy smarting, Evelyn. This episode, Valentine's Day, was written by Sarah Sweetick and voiced by Taya Garlett, Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn. Who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room studios. Our associate producer is Max Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colber. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.

[Chet Nickerson]

Who Smarted.

[Cupid]

Star Glow.