The history of Valentine’s Day

　　The history of Valentine's Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded¹ in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges² of both Christian³ and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite⁴? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

　　One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided⁵ that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed⁶ marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice⁷ 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 Christians⁸ escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

　　According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement⁹. Before his death, it is alleged¹⁰ that he wrote her a letter, which he signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky¹¹, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

　　While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated¹² in the middle of February to commemorate¹³ the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial — which probably occurred around 270 A.D — others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to "christianize" celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed¹⁴ by sweeping¹⁵ them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated¹⁶ to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders¹⁷ Romulus and Remus.

　　To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification.

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