The History of Valentine’s Day

On February 14th of every year, Valentine’s day is celebrated. Gifts, flowers, and candy are traded among friends, families, and couples all around the world. However, Valentine’s Day has a history that people do not know about during their gift giving. 

The Catholic Church recognizes multiple different Saints with names similar to Valentine. One of the many legends says that Valentine was a third-century Roman priest. When the Emperor, Cladius II, thought that young single men were better soldiers than married men, he made a law that forbade the marriage of young men. Valentine thought that this was outrageous and was said to secretly perform marriages for young men. Eventually, Claudius found out about Valentine and ordered Valentine’s death. 

Other tales say that Valentine was put to death for helping Christians escape Roman prisons, where they were mistreated and abused. It said that Valentine sent the first Valentine’s Day card when he was imprisoned. It was rumored that the love letter was sent to his jailor’s daughter, who would commonly visit him throughout his confinement. By the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France. 

There are disagreements on why people celebrate Valentine’s day in mid-February. Some argue that it celebrates the day of Valentine’s death, rumored to have occurred around 270 A.D. However, others argue that Christians choose this time to try and christianize the pagan holiday of Lupercalia. 

When people think of February 14th they tend to think of love and days filled with couples trading gifts. However, this day was not associated with love until around the Middle Ages. The idea of romance on this day first began in England and France because February was thought to be the first day of bird mating season.