Valentine’s Day, also called Saint Valentine’s Day or the feast of Saint Valentine is celebrated annually on February 14. Originating as a Western Christian feast day honoring one or two early saints named Valentinus, Valentine’s Day is recognized as a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and romantic love in many regions around the world, although it is not a public holiday in any country.

Martyrdom stories associated with various Valentines connected to February 14 are presented in Martyrologies, including a written account of Saint Valentine of Rome’s imprisonment for performing weddings for soldiers, who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman  Empire.

According to legend, during his imprisonment, Saint Valentine restored sight to the blind daughter of his judge, and before his execution, he wrote her a letter signed “ Your Valentine” as a farewell.

Also, see Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

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The first day became associated with romantic love within the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14^th century when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In 18^th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards.

Valentine’s Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged cupid. Since the 19^th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards. In Europe, Saint Valentine’s keys are given to lovers “as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver’s heart” as well as to children, in order to ward off epilepsy.

Saint Valentine’s Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion and the Lutheran Church. Many parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrate Saint Valentine’s Day, albeit on July  6 and July 30, the former date in honor of the Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and the latter date in honor of Hierromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna.

Other Stories claim that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned  Valentine actually sent the first “Valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl-possibly his Jailor’s daughter who visited him during his confinement.

Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “from your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and most important romantic figure.

You may also be interested in the Best Valentine’s Day Deals.