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'The Kiss,' 1900

Smooch! Smack! Watch Edison's "The Kiss"

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Valentine's Day
February 14

Love, Cupid, hearts, chocolates, cards and flowers are everywhere--it's Valentine's Day! On February 14, Americans celebrate love and friendship. But where did this holiday of affection come from?

The origins of Valentine's Day are murky. We do know that the ancient Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia, a spring festival, on the 15th of February. With the introduction of Christianity, the holiday moved to the 14th of February--the saint day that celebrated several early Christian martyrs named Valentine. But somewhere along the way, Valentine's Day came to represent romance. You can watch a romantic movie right here, "The Kiss," produced by Thomas Edison back in 1900.

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VIDEO CREDIT: "The Kiss." Edison Manufacturing Co., copyright 1900. Inventing Entertainment: The Motion Pictures and Sound Recordings of the Edison Companies, American Memory collections, Library of Congress.