Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine, yet many may wonder why? Who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The actual history of Valentine's Day and its patron saint is still shrouded in mystery. Historians do record that February has long been a month of romance. As we know it today, St. Valentine's Day, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. Who was Saint Valentine and how did he become the center of this ancient rite?
One legend recounts that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers (and were less trouble) than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, outraged at the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Emperor Claudius ordered that he be put to death. It is thought that his devoted friends buried him in the church of St. Praxede in the year 270 AD, on the 14th of February. Other stories have suggested that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.
One legend remains the most romantic of them all. The story tells that Valentine actually sent the first “Valentine� greeting himself. It is believed that Valentine while in prison fell in love with a young girl (who may have been his jailor's daughter) who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a love letter, which he signed “From your Valentine,� an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legend may never be known the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure.