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Valentine's Day is a time to celebrate romance and love and kissy-face fealty. But the origins of this festival of candy and cupids are actually dark, bloody — and a bit muddled. Some legends say Valentine was a bishop in Terni, Italy, who healed the sick, including the blind daughter of a prison guard whom he met while in jail for practicing Christianity in a pagan In this article, we take a look at the various historical and cultural influences that have shaped Valentine’s Day. From the mysterious figure of Saint Valentine and the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia to the medieval traditions of courtly love and the commercialization of the holiday in the modern era, we explore how February 14th became the day to celebrate love. The association of Valentine's Day with love and romance can be traced back to the 14th century, particularly through the works of Geoffrey Chaucer. What are the historical origins of Valentine's Day? Learn how romantic cards and chocolates helped commercialize this day of love. What is the real story behind Valentine's Day? Valentine's Day wasn't always all cherubs and hearts. As you probably know, the day is named after St. Valentine—but our story starts long before he came along. One Saint Valentine was supposedly a Roman priest who performed secret weddings against the wishes of the authorities in the third century. Imprisoned in the home of a noble, he healed his Whether or not Chaucer can be fully credited, it is true that he and fellow writer Shakespeare popularised the amorous associations surrounding the day. Soon, people began penning and exchanging love letters to celebrate Valentine's Day. The mid-19th century marked the beginning of many of the commercialised Valentine's Day traditions we know The exact history of Valentine's Day is a bit murky, but some historians believe the holiday is linked to Lupercalia, a pagan festival that was held annually between Feb. 13 and Feb. 15 in ancient Valentine’s Day originated as a liturgical feast to celebrate the decapitation of a third-century Christian martyr, or perhaps two. So, how did we get from beheading to betrothing on The first written connection between love and Valentine’s Day appears in his poem, Parlement of Foules, written in the late 14th century. Chaucer appears to have invented the correlation that Valentine’s Day equals love and chalked it up to poetic license. The history of Valentine’s Day is a bit blurry, but it’s also possible that he Valentine’s Day, holiday (February 14) when lovers express their affection with greetings and gifts. It may have had beginnings in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, which celebrated the coming of spring and included fertility rites and other activities, but the origin of the holiday is vague at best. Valentine’s Day is often seen as a day of romantic love, but at its heart, it is a celebration of deep, selfless love — the kind of love that reflects Christ. While the world emphasizes romance only, we can use this day to celebrate God’s love, the love of family and friends, and the faith that binds us together. Valentine’s Day is filled with fun traditions, including decorating with paper hearts, trying heart-shaped food recipes, coloring everything red and pink, and giving Valentine’s Day gifts for Natalia Ganelin/Getty Images. Before the 14th century, St. Valentine's Day was primarily about honoring a Christian martyr. The English poet Geoffrey Chaucer is credited with connecting St. Valentine's Day to the idea of romance. Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 as St. Valentine’s Day in 496 AD, and the rest is this history. New strain in Calif. Get the USA TODAY app Start the day smarter ☀️ 🐍Year of the Snake The Catholic Church doesn’t recognize St. Valentine’s Day on its calendar anymore, but people throughout the world still celebrate the day. CHANGING TRADITIONS. Valentine’s Day traditions have evolved a lot over the years. For example, in the Middle Ages—which lasted from the 5th to 15th centuries in Europe—people started exchanging There’s more behind Valentine's Day than just cards and gifts. There’s a true life story, a story that teaches us a lot about the true meaning of love, sacrifice and commitment. Valentine’s Day originated as a feast to celebrate the decapitation of a third-century Christian martyr, or perhaps two. It took a gruesome path to becoming a romantic holiday. On Feb. 14, sweethearts of all ages will exchange cards, flowers, candy, and more lavish gifts in the name of St. Valentine. But as a historian of Christianity, I can tell you that at the root of
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