Today is Valentine’s Day. Traditionally in this country, it has been a day for
cards, candy, and flowers. I think it would surprise most people to know that Valentine’s
Day is rooted in church history and not an invention of greeting card companies.

Pope Gelasius designated February 14 as a day to celebrate the life of St.
Valentine. Actually there were at least three men who were named Valentine that have
been tied to this day.

One tradition goes back to the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius. Valentine
was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers, who were forbidden from
marrying because Claudius believed that unmarried men made better soldiers. One
tradition says that he healed the daughter of his jailer. Before his execution, he wrote her
a note that said “from your Valentine.”

On February 14, there was a Roman festival based on the Roman goddess of
marriage, childbirth, and sexuality. Some claim that the church may have decided to
place the St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February to “Christianize” the pagan
festival. That is likely how St. Valentine’s life came to be associated with love and
romance.

During the Middle Ages, Geoffrey Chaucer and others emphasized the idea of
courtly love. By the 15th century, the idea of Valentine’s Day changed into an occasion in
which lovers would express their love for one another by giving the cards, candy, and
flowers we give to each other today. Those cards came to be known as “valentines.”

The oldest known valentine still exists. It was a poem written in 1415 by Charles,
Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Other
“valentines” were sent in the following centuries.

Sending and giving valentines today is big business. More cards are sent on
Valentine’s Day than any other holiday except Christmas. I hope that now that you know
some of the history, you won’t forget that this day was named for a Christian saint
centuries ago.