The Origins of Valentine’s Day

Valentines Day is widely known for showing a person or people how much they are loved. However, not many people know the origins of this holiday date back to an era that banished love, and the actions of one man helped love strive.

Saint Valentine was a priest who would secretly perform marriages for young men and women. Other accounts state the man was a Bishop who hosted secret weddings and martyrdom for couples. Whether he was a Bishop or a priest, he did not stride far from the consequences for committing actions considered illegal during his lifetime. 

During his time, Rome was under the rule of Emperor Claudius II. The emperor was a ruler with an unstable army because many men did not want to join the army. An army needed soldiers who would face their enemies face-on, with no hesitation or fear of dying and not returning to their families. Claudius decided to outlaw marriage for young men to avoid further shortages.

Disagreeing with the new law prohibiting marriage, Saint Valentine proceeded to perform marriages for young men and women in secret, aware of the consequences of his actions if his secret were discovered. The actions of wanting to wed people who wanted to be joined together in matrimony put the future events into motion.

Before long, the emperor discovered Saint Valentine’s secret. As punishment, he was beaten, tortured, and not before long, on February 14th, 269 A.D., he was condemned to death by beheading. Before his death, legend says that he befriended a young girl, a jailer’s daughter, and left her a farewell letter. He wrote her letter, signing it with, “From Your Valentine”.

There are many theories and unanswered questions about the life and true story of the priest. Different stories of him have been accounted for, ranging from Saint Valentine being two distinct people to the same person. Whether the priest Saint Valentine was one person or multiple people in history, anyone who has heard of his story depicts him as a figure of romance. He had become one of the most popular saints in France and England and became known as the figure Valentines Day is based on.

Love is not a one-day thing. By making one day especially special for others, the act of love is appreciated and acted upon more in modern times than during the outlaw in Rome. Actions such as Emperor Claudius prove that love cannot be controlled.

Written by Hailey Jimenez | Graphic Designed by Kiet Le

Published February 11, 2022 | ePathfinder | Entertainment