A History of Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, celebrated annually on February 14th, is a day synonymous with love and romance. However, its origins are steeped in both ancient Roman rituals and Christian tradition, presenting a rich tapestry of history and lore.

The earliest roots of Valentine's Day can be traced back to ancient Rome and the festival of Lupercalia. Celebrated from February 13th to 15th, Lupercalia was a pagan festival that involved animal sacrifices and fertility rites. During this festival, young men would draw the names of women from a jar, pairing off for the duration of the festival, or longer if the match was right.

The transition from a pagan festival to a Christian feast day is where St. Valentine comes into the picture. There are several legends about who St. Valentine was, but the most popular one tells of a priest who served during the third century in Rome. Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, so he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Another story suggests that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl—possibly his jailor’s daughter—who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today.

Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day around 498 A.D. The day became associated with love and romance during the Middle Ages in England and France, where it was commonly believed that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, adding to the idea that Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance.

Over the centuries, Valentine’s Day evolved into an occasion in which lovers express love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”).