The origin of Valentine's Day: Unveiling the story behind the patron saint of lovers

Love it oregon hatred it, Valentine’s Day comes astir each twelvemonth and determination is nary getting distant from it.

But wherefore is Valentine’s Day celebrated? And however did it each begin? Here is everything we know.

It is the time of emotion - whether that beryllium for a partner, child, oregon idiosyncratic you respect secretly, Valentine’s Day is the 1 clip a twelvemonth you are expected to explicit your affection to the idiosyncratic you love.

Valentine's Day ever falls connected February 14, meaning that the time of the week varies twelvemonth connected year. In 2025, Valentine's Day volition autumn connected a Friday for the archetypal clip since 2020.

St. Valentine is known arsenic the patron saint of lovers successful the Christian faith. There are assorted legends astir a spiritual fig named Valentine oregon Valentinus who was martyred connected February 14 successful the 3rd period AD.

There are tons of stories astir who helium was, and cipher knows the existent answer.

Some historians accidental St. Valentine was a Roman clergyman who refused to person to paganism and was said to beryllium executed by the ruler astatine the time, known arsenic Emperor Claudius II successful astir 270 AD.

It is said that earlier his decease helium healed the girl of the Emperor and the brace fell successful love. On the time of his execution, helium wrote her a missive signed "from your Valentine”.

In different story, St. Valentine was said to person been executed due to the fact that helium secretly performed weddings for soldiers, who were forbidden to marry.

The facts are truthful murky that the Catholic Church removed him from the General Roman Calendar successful 1969, though they inactive recognise him arsenic patron saint of lovers, radical with epilepsy, and beekeepers.

Whichever communicative is believed, it is simply a information that the time successful his sanction connected February 14 replaced what was the pagan Roman festival of Lupercalia.

Lupercalia celebrated the coming of outpouring and fertility and progressive a ritual successful which men and women were paired disconnected by choosing names from a jar.

As Christianity spread, pagan rituals fell by the wayside and astatine the extremity of the 5th century, the past leader, named Pope Gelasius I, outlawed Lupercalia.

Some recognition him with introducing Valentine’s Day arsenic a replacement, however, we don’t cognize if helium was the 1 liable for it. While helium abolished Lupercalia successful the 5th century, the relation of February 14 with St Valentine and emotion developed implicit time.

Valentine's Day utilized to beryllium astir paying tribute to a Christian martyr but fixed his associations with love, it has present successful the modern time moved connected to beryllium a time celebrating love.

He lived successful the Middle Ages erstwhile poems, songs and paintings were often utilized arsenic displays of affection.

He wrote a poem named the Parliament of Fowls which is thought to person been written to commemorate the engagement of King Richard II.

In it helium described birds mating, writing:

“You cognize that connected Saint Valentine's Day.

By my statute and done my governance,

You travel to take and past alert your way

Your mates, arsenic I your desires enhance."

From past on, Valentine's Day was seen arsenic a time of romanticist love.

Traditionally, the time sees radical lavish their loved ones with a paper oregon a acquisition to amusement their affection and love.

If the communicative of St. Valentine is true, his missive to the Emperor’s girl would astir apt number arsenic the archetypal Valentine paper ever sent.