Valentine, Sweet Valentine

Every February 14, in almost all places around the world, candy, flowers and other gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint, and where did this tradition come from?

The Legend of St. Valentine

February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St.Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.

The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend says that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Caludius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, 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 Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest 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, during his imprisonment, Valentine healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius. And before his execution, he wrote her a letter which he signed as "Your Valentine" as a farewell.

Origin of Valentine Day: A Pagan Festival

It is believed that the Christian Church may have decided to place St. Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to "Christianize" the pagan celebration of Lupercalia.  Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture.

Valentine's Day: A Day of Romance

Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Christianity.  But it was outlawed --as it was deemed "un-Christian"-- at the end of the 15th Century. It was not until much later that the day became definitively associated with love.

Today Valentine's Day is marked by the exchange of romantic cards (Valentine), flowers and other gifts.

Happy Valentine's Day, Dear Everyone! 

Sources: History.com and Wikipedia