Missionaries of the Sacred

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, but how did the tradition of Valentine’s Day develop? Just who was St. Valentine? There are many legends about St. Valentine, but little information about the day’s patron saint is actually known for a fact. There have actually been several saints named Valentine, but Valentine’s Day is named after priest physician who was martyred in Rome in the year 269. One legend says that Valentine was a priest who secretly continued to perform marriages for Christian couples after the Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for Christians. (According to a similar legend, Claudius II outlawed marriage for all young men due to the belief that single men made better soldiers.) Another legend holds that Valentine helped Christians escape from Roman prisons.

Pope Gelasius declared February 14th St. Valentine’s Day in the late 5th century (around the year 498). In the Middle Ages, the people of England and France believed that February 14th marked the beginning of the mating season for birds, which helped popularize the idea that Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance. In the 17th century, the holiday became popularly celebrated in Great Britain, with people often exchanging small gifts or notes.