Valentine’s day is holiday of romantic love and affection, which is celebrated all over the world. This day, as many know, falls on 14th of February, due to which February is known as the month of romance. This is the day for loving couples, the day when presents, cards and kisses are shared. We all know that Valentine’s day has some sort of history. Well, it is not, certainly, something recent. But where and when all this started? There’s no certain date or certain history. Though, there are some legends.

So what is the origin of St Valentine ’s Day?

St Valentine ’s Day has a pretty dim origin. But it is known to have both Roman and Catholic roots.

According to one legend, Valentine was a priest in Rome during the times of reign of Emperor Claudius II, in 270 A.D. This Emperor decided that single men fight better in battles than those who were married. So he banned marriages for those men who were to battle. But even after his order, the priest went on marrying people in secret. Once Emperor Claudius II learned about this and sentenced the priest to death. For his martyrdom and dedication, Valentine was named a Saint after his death.

According to another legend, Valentine was a Christian at the times of reign of Emperor Claudius II. He loved children and was loved by then, in return. He always made small gifts and cards for them. But at those times most Romans were pagan. They followed and persecuted Christians, in order to make Rome free of any Christians. In spite of this strict law, Valentine continued to practice his faith and refused to worship Roman Gods. His disobedience enraged the Emperor, who ordered to put him in prison. But Valentine was loved by the children so much, that they continued bringing him flowers and small cards showing their affection. They would through those little cards through the window of the cell. Thus, the tradition of giving cards and flowers originated.

Some believe that during the reign of Emperor Claudius II, Valentines was helping imprisoned Christians to escape from prison as they were tortured there. Emperor was fascinated by his braveness, and even allowed him to convert into pagan. But as he refused he was executed. Valentine was beheaded on February 14.

Some other legend tells that, as Valentine was imprisoned for being Christian, he made friendship with the daughter of one of the jailers. This poor girl was blind and Valentine prayed each day for her to regain her sight. In the end, the jailor’s girl regained her eyesight. According to this legend, Valentines left her a last note, which ended with “From Your Valentine”. Here comes the origin of gifting card signed with “From Your Valentine”.

According to another legend, St Valentine ’s Day was a holiday which was set by Christian church to replace the celebration of a pagan holiday called Lupercalia. This festival was held on 15th of February and was dedicated to a Roman God of agriculture Faunus, and the founders of Rome — Romulus and Remus. To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a 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 sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. Then, after sacrificing the priests would tear the goat’s hide into strips, dip those strips into the sacrificed blood and walk the streets of Rome gently heating women with the hide. It was believed that heating women with the goat’s hide would make women more fertile that year. Later in the day of the festival, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big container. The city’s young men would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.

Later, in the 5th century Pope Gelasius I combined Lupercalia with St Valentine’s Day, in order to expel pagan rituals. Although the Catholic church made this change to put an end on these sort of festivals and change the meaning of it, yet February 14th went on being the day of love and fertility.

As the years went on, this holiday grew sweeter. Chaucer and Shakespeare romanticized it in their works, and it gained more popularity throughout Britain and the rest of Europe.

So, there’s no certain origin of St Valentine’s Day, but there exists a great number of legends that explain most of the modern traditions of celebrating the holiday of affection.