A Brief History of Valentine's Day

We all love getting cards, gifts, flowers, and candy on Valentine's Day. Here's how all of these traditions got started!

According to History, there are many different stories on the origin of Saint Valentine. Some believe that in Ancient Rome, Emperor Claudius II thought that bachelors were more suited for soldiers than husbands. Valentine defied the Emperor and married young lovers in secrecy. He was put to death after he was discovered.

Another theory suggests that Valentine would help prisoners escape from Roman prisons. He was later imprisoned himself and ended up falling in love with who was possibly his jailor's daughter. He allegedly wrote her a letter before he was put to death signed "From Your Valentine", which is where we get the popular expression from.

Pagans would celebrate Lupercalia, a fertility festival, on February 15th. Christians attempted to overtake this with a celebration for Saint Valentine the day prior. It survived at first, but once Christianity became more popular and influential, Lupercalia was deemed un-Christian.

So keep this in mind while you're out shopping for the perfect card or box of chocolates for your loved one!

Lesser Known Valentine's Day Facts