What Is Valentine's Day, Really?

Truth be told, there are so many legends surrounding February 14th. While we celebrate this day as Valentine's Day, most foreign countries mark it as "Saint Valentine's Day." So who exactly is Valentine, and what does he have to do with our loved ones? Here's everything — and more — in this article.

The First Known Legend: The Lupercalia Festival

In ancient Rome, a Spring and Love Festival called "Lupercalia" was held in the middle of February. At this festival, young Roman men and women — who normally kept their distance from one another — were able to come together. The names of the young women were written on pieces of paper and dropped into a clay pot. The young men would then draw names at random, like a lottery, and be paired up. Until evening, each young man would escort the girl whose name he had drawn. Some of these pairings ended in marriage, others in separation.

The Second and Most Well-Known Legend: "Saint Valentine's Day"

In the 3rd century, the cruelest emperor of the era, Roman Emperor Claudius II, sat on the throne. This emperor, passionate about war and military life, believed that unmarried soldiers fought better than married ones, and so he issued an edict forbidding soldiers to marry. At the time, a kind-hearted priest named Valentine disregarded the ban and continued to perform marriages for soldiers. The moment Emperor Claudius heard of this, he had Priest Valentine thrown into prison. In prison, Valentine fell in love with the jailer's daughter. He was well aware that he was a priest, yet love enveloped his soul. Knowing he would never escape from that prison, rather than hiding his love, he poured it onto paper. On February 14th, 269 AD, as he was being led away to be executed by burning, a love letter signed "Your Valentine" was delivered to the jailer's daughter. The tradition of sending cards to a loved one originates from this event. Furthermore, February 14th — the death date of the kind-hearted, loving priest — was dedicated to all couples.

Quick Facts About February 14th

*In 498 AD, Pope Gelasius merged the pagan Roman tradition with St. Valentine and declared February 14th "Saint Valentine's Day." From that point on, couples began writing words of love on small note cards expressing the meaning and significance of the day, and exchanging keepsakes.

*The tradition of sending red roses on February 14th began when French King Louis XVI, who reigned from 1775 to 1792, sent red roses to his wife Marie Antoinette on this day.



*Valentine's Day, or Saint Valentine's Day, fell into a kind of hibernation throughout the Middle Ages. And this day — even officially recognized by the Church — began to be celebrated again at the start of the 18th century.
*In 1840, a person named Esther A. Howland printed the first Valentine's card. And from that year on, the tradition grew into an industry. As postal services became both more widespread and more affordable, demand for these cards soared.

If you have someone you love by your side on February 14th and you feel loved, that is more important than anything else. This year, let's express our love both in writing and in words…