The History of Saint Valentine's Day
Valentinus, the man whom the Roman Catholic Church credits as Saint Valentine, was a physician and priest who resided in Rome during the third century AD. He assisted the Roman martyrs during the Christian persecution under Emperor Claudius II, who ordered all citizens of Rome to worship the complete pantheon of gods and goddesses. Those who failed to comply with this religious decree were punished by death. Valentinus was arrested and imprisoned for his Christian faith and belief in the One True God. He tried unsuccessfully to convert the emperor, who condemned Valentinus to death on February 14, 270 AD. While imprisoned, Valentinus converted his jailer by restoring the sight of the jailer's daughter, Julia, who was born blind. On the eve of his death, Valentinus wrote a note to Julia, telling her to stay close to God. He signed it,
from your Valentine.
In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a day of celebration in honour of Valentinus' martyrdom. In 1836, Pope Gregory XVI gave the remains of Valentinus to the Carmelites religious order for their newly built Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, where he is venerated to this day. On St. Valentine's Day, messages of affection and love are exchanged around the world in commemoration of the life and sacrifice of Valentinus. However, Valentine's Day only became associated with romantic love in the High Middle Ages (1000 to 1300 AD), when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
Saint Valentine's Day has since become a traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other, sending letters, cards, candy, and flowers. Some very devout Christians even send donations to charities, often anonymously. The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes, commonly known as "valentines." Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline and the figure of the winged Cupid.
Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards. The American Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that women purchase approximately 85% of all valentines sold. In North America, the marketing of Valentine's Day is known as a "Hallmark holiday."
