Across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. But who is this mysterious saint and where did these traditions come from?
The history of Valentine's Dayβand the story of its patron saintβis shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.
One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men.
Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. Still others insist that it was Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop, who was the true namesake of the holiday.
He, too, was beheaded by Claudius II outside Rome. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic andβmost importantlyβromantic figure.
