History of Valentines Day

What is Valentines Day?

If you think of Valentine’s Day today you think of cards, flowers, chocolates and romance – but it wasn’t always like that. The origins are not completely clear but it is believed that it dates back to the times of the Roman Empire!

Saint Valentine

One theory is that it is named Saint Valentines Day after the priest who carried out weddings against the express orders of Emperor Claudius II who believed that single men made better soldiers. Saint Valentine was imprisoned for his troubles and is credited with writing the first valentines note to his jailer’s blind daughter. His note was signed “from your Valentine”. He was executed on February 14th 270AD.

The Catholic Church however recognises more than one Saint Valentine!

The Feast of Lupercalia

But the day is also thought to originate from the Feast of Lupercalia which was a festival devoted to Fauna the Roman god of agriculture. Some stories also mention Juno, Queen of the Gods. Legend has it that all the single women in the city would put their names in an urn and the men would draw them out and they were matched together for the year. Many of these matches ended in marriage.

These love lotteries – not a million miles away from arranged marriages – were outlawed though, and in 498AD Pope Gelasius declared February 14 should be a Christian festival named St. Valentine’s Day in honour of the above-mentioned martyr.