Every Feb. 14, hearts flutter, chocolates melt and roses bloom as people celebrate Valentine's Day, a day dedicated to love and affection. But beneath the festive pink and red exterior lies a complex history riddled with mystery and controversy.
Officially known as Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, the Feb. 14 celebration originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyred saint named Valentine. Over time, it evolved into a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions.
Several martyrdom stories surround various Saint Valentines linked to Feb. 14. One popular tale recounts the imprisonment of Saint Valentine of Rome for secretly marrying Christian soldiers forbidden by the Roman emperor in the 3rd century . Legend has it that Saint Valentine even cured the jailer's blind daughter.
Later embellishments romanticized the legend further. One claims Saint Valentine defied the emperor by performing weddings for soldiers. Another, from the 18th century, adds that he wrote a farewell letter to the jailer's daughter, signing it "Your Valentine" .
The celebration's official recognition dates back to the 8th century, recorded in the Gelasian Sacramentary. The association with romantic love blossomed in the 14th and 15th centuries, coinciding with the rise of courtly love, possibly due to the association with spring's "lovebirds."
By the 18th century in England, it had become a custom for couples to express their affection through flowers, sweets and greeting cards (valentines). Today's iconic symbols – heart shapes, doves and Cupid – also emerged then. Mass-produced greetings replaced handmade cards in the 19th century.
While not a public holiday anywhere, Valentine's Day remains an official feast day in the Anglican Communion and Lutheran Church. Eastern Orthodox churches also celebrate Saint Valentine on July 6 and 30, honoring different saints with the same name.