The History of Valentine's Day Valentine's Day is one of the most famous non-religious holidays in the Western world. Every year, hundreds of millions (and possible more) of Valentine's cards are bought and exchanged, not to mention the roses, jewelry, and other Valentine's gifts. However, Valentine’s Day has changed dramatically in the history of its celebration, a history that goes back thousands of years and crosses continents. Early Days – The Feast of Saint Valentine "Valentine's Day" was first established in or around 500 A.D. by Pope Gelasius, who declared it a feast day to honor Saint Valentine. Unfortunately, there is some confusion as to which Saint Valentine the day was meant to celebrate. Catholic history records at least two martyred Saint Valentines, both of whom were reported to have been buried on the Via Flaminia, a famous Roman highway, on February 14th. There are also contradictory reports on what the celebrated Saint Valentine did to earn his own day of feasting. Some reports say that he defied a decree from Roman Emperor Claudius that forbid the marriage of young men, marrying young couples in secret. Other accounts say that he was caught helping Roman Christians escape torture in Rome's harsh prisons. Both versions usually end with the Saint being imprisoned, and then falling in love with his jailor's daughter as he awaited execution. Valentine reportedly wrote his love, Julia, a letter which he signed, "From your Valentine," creating the traditional signature that lasts to this day. Because of the confusion regarding Saint Valentine's identity and origins, the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican in the 1960s removed his feast day from the official religious calendar. Despite the lack of concrete information, Valentine's Day was established as a popular secular celebration. Valentine's Day as a Christian Ritual Many historians believe that one of the reasons for the establishment of Valentine's Day as an official saint's day was so that it could be used to replace pagan rituals that it wanted to supplant in the popular culture. The pagan Roman holiday it was most likely meant to compete with was Lupercalia, a fertility festival in honor of the god of agriculture, Faunus, as well as Rome's mythical founders, Romulus and Remus. Lupercalian ritual included honoring the gods with the sacrifice of a goat, the hide of which would then be used to bless both crops and women to grant them fertility in the coming year. Lupercalia reportedly also involved a special lottery, in which the names of single women were placed in an urn. Local bachelors would then pull a name from the urn, and the women would live with the men who pulled their name for a year, an arrangement that often ended in marriage. Lupercalia initially continued to be celebrated after the rise of Christianity, until it was outlawed and replaced with Valentine's Day by Pope Gelasius.
Valentine's Day in the Middle Ages Valentine's Day truly became associated as a celebration of love during the Middle Ages, particularly in France and England. It was commonly believed at the time that February 14th was the first day of bird mating season, making it an appropriate day to celebrate love and attraction. Legend has it that Charles, Duke of Orleans, created the first written Valentine message when he sent his wife a love poem while being held hostage after the Battle of Agincourt. The Modern History of Valentine's Day Over the centuries, Valentine's Day spread across the world. Americans began sending each other written Valentines messages in the 1700s, and by the 1800s Esther A. Howland was selling the first mass produced Valentine cards. The British were also regularly exchanging cards and tokens of affection on February 14th by this time. Today, Valentine's Day is celebrated in one form or another in many countries. In addition to the Valentine's Day that Americans recognize being celebrated in France, the UK, Australia, Canada, and Mexico, countries as far away as Japan, India, and Vietnam all have their own form of Valentine's Day celebrations. From its humble origins as a feast for a martyred saint, February 14th has become an internationally recognized day to celebrate love.