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Saint Valentine, the Ersatz Patron of Love

  • 18/02/2025
  • 19:00-20:30
  • online talk

Valentine card; via Wikimedia Commons

Saint Valentine, the Ersatz Patron of Love

A Folklore Society online talk by

Eric Huang

Tues 18 February 2025, 19:00 GMT

Explore the legend of a Roman-era martyr and saint whose holy day is also a secular holiday, a day in which couples around the world buy each other flowers, chocolates, and other tokens of love.

Facebook statistics suggest something else is brewing beneath the romantic dinners, something darker. The two weeks immediately before and after the feast day record the highest changes in relationship status from DATING to SINGLE. This irony perhaps makes sense because the original hagiography of this obscure cleric from Ancient Rome had nothing to do with romantic love.

Eric Huang is the creator of Saint Podcast, a podcast that explores the history of saints’ legends. He’s also an author and a lecturer at City St George, University of London.

Tickets £6.00 (£4.00 for Folklore Society members with Promo Code–log in to the Members’ area to get the code) from https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/st-valentine-the-ersatz-patron-of-love-tickets-1046773877847

Every ticket sold helps to support the work of The Folklore Society

Image: Valentine card, via Wikimedia Commons