How the Medieval Warm Period Shaped Valentine’s Day Traditions
When Valentine’s Day took shape in the Middle Ages, Europe’s climate was warmer than it is today. Birds mated earlier, flowers bloomed sooner, and spring arrived weeks ahead of schedule. Could this warmer climate—known as the Medieval Warm Period—be the reason February became the month of love? Let’s explore how medieval weather helped shape one of today’s most romantic holidays.
How Warm Was Europe During the Middle Ages?
Identifying past weather patterns is always somewhat controversial, but history seems to show that 1,000 years ago, the weather was very warm in Europe compared to today.
Greenland really had some green pastures, and Vikings ran cattle. During this period, springtime in Italy frequently began in mid-February.
Have you ever noticed that poems describing the weather in England sound like sunny Italy?
Chaucer, widely considered the greatest poet of the Middle Ages, associated the feast of St. Valentine with the mating impulses of birds, which were thought to begin looking for their mates on February 14.
Indeed, the feast of St. Valentine has been associated with love since the Middle Ages.
What Was the Medieval Warm Period?
The Medieval Warm Period was a time of relatively mild temperatures from about 950 to 1250, particularly in parts of Europe, Greenland, and the North Atlantic region.
The Medieval Warm Period (MWP), was a time of relatively warm conditions, said to have prevailed in various parts of the world, though predominantly in the Northern Hemisphere from Greenland eastward through Europe and parts of Asia.
What Caused the Medieval Warm Period?
Possible causes of the Medieval Warm Period include increased solar activity, decreased volcanic activity, and changes to ocean circulation.
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From Warmth to Cold: The Little Ice Age
This warm period was followed by a decline in temperature levels. This was called “The Little Ice Age” because it was the coldest phase since the last ice age occurred.
The Medieval Warm Period and Valentine’s Day
Originally, the Romans had a mid-February fertility festival, Lupercalia, to celebrate the change of seasons. In 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius I replaced the rather raunchy affair with a saint’s day: St. Valentine’s Day.
That should have ended everything. St. Valentine was a nice guy who was kind to children, helped the early Christians, and was executed on February 14. There was nothing lusty about him. (However, some legends say he healed and befriended his jail keeper’s daughter and sent her a farewell note “From your Valentine.”)
So, what do you get when you combine a romantic saint and the beginning of spring? A mushy mid-February holiday!
By the Medieval Warm Period, societies from England to Italy cheerfully celebrated his saint’s day with villages pairing up young men and women for dances and dalliance.
Why February Still Feels Like the Start of Spring
Technically, solar winter ends on February 5. This is the (darkest) quarter of the year with the least amount of daylight for the Northern Hemisphere. It lasts from November 5 to February.
We’re entering the time of year when the Sun’s rays are getting stronger in the Northern Hemisphere. Between now and April, day length across the Northern Hemisphere will grow at its quickest rate.
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SOURCE: NASA
Of course, with both our air and ocean temperatures, there is always a phenomenon called seasonal lag. The warmth from the summer and fall months carries into the first part of winter, just like the cold from winter will carry into the first part of spring.
Even in the Little Ice Age, people noticed that the days were becoming sunnier. It might have been hard to gather flowers, but romance continued to bloom on February 14.
→ Learn all about the surprisingly dark origins of Valentine’s Day!
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