Valentine’s Day

Some interesting history of this day of love

Everyone loves a good love story, but the history of Valentine’s Day is a bit different from the romanticized version of the holiday recognized today. While Feb. 14 is widely celebrated with sweet Valentine’s Day treats, heartfelt Valentine’s Day gifts and romantic dinners, few people are familiar with the holiday’s true origins.

You might remember making Valentine’s Day crafts at school or picking out cute Valentine’s Day candy to share with classmates, but just how did these traditions start? Much like Christmas, the religious roots of Valentine’s Day are often overshadowed by the more commercial aspects of the holiday. As it turns out, the histories of both holidays share a few surprising similarities.

See, the way Valentine’s Day is celebrated has transformed over time. The modern iteration of the holiday, with all its rosy hearts and kisses, has quite a bubbly feel compared to its origin story, which is actually...a bit bloody. You won’t find the real story of Valentine’s Day in your favorite romantic movies—not only because it’s a bit darker than most Hollywood fare, but also because it’s a bit of a mystery!

Historians can’t quite pinpoint the exact origin of the holiday, but they can trace how Valentine’s Day traditions have evolved over time. Why does V-day fall on the same day in February every year? When and why did it become associated with romantic love? And what’s a “Valentine” anyway? These are the questions burning in our hearts! We’ve gathered the facts and myths surrounding the story, and the final picture may surprise you.

What is the real story behind Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day wasn’t always all cherubs and hearts. As you probably know, the day is named after St. Valentine—but our story starts long before he came along. According to both The New York Times and History.com, the holiday’s origin might stem from the ancient pagan festival of Lupercalia, which predated Christianity. Similar to the modern Valentine’s Day holiday, the Roman festival was celebrated in the middle of February and involved feasting and pairing off partners.

However, unlike Valentine’s Day, it was a bit of a raucous celebration filled with debauchery, blood, and sacrifice. For example, it was tradition for the hide of a sacrificed goat to be cut into strips and dipped in blood. Then, priests would go around slapping women with the strips. The practice was supposedly welcomed, as it was believed to make the women more fertile in the coming year. So, you still have a red association with the holiday, but definitely not the one we’re used to today.

The theory goes that as Romans turned away from their pagan beliefs and embraced Christianity, the holiday evolved into one honoring St. Valentine. Lupercalia was eventually outlawed at the end of the fifth century, right around the time Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 as St. Valentine’s Day.

Who was Saint Valentine?

The identity of St. Valentine is also up for debate. According to NPR, Emperor Claudius II of Rome executed two different men named Valentine on Feb. 14 (in two different years) during the third century. One account of St. Valentine says that he was a priest who was arrested for defying a Roman decree that forbade soldiers from marrying. He was executed for the crime of continuing to wed lovers in secret.

Another story contends that it was all to do with an imprisoned priest who fell in love with one of his visitors and began writing letters to her. According to History.com, the priest supposedly sent the woman a letter before his execution that he signed off, “From your Valentine.” Both of these stories have romantic undertones and cannot be officially verified. All we can say is that Valentine’s Day was named for a martyred St. Valentine. —Michaela Bahn