Origin of Valentine's: Truth and Myth
St. Valentine with disciples at a church construction
Many stories are found narrating the history behind Valentine’s Day. Let us state what we know as truth before we tell legends.
The Truth
1. In ancient Rome, February 15 was the festival of fertility—also known as the Lupercalia. The night before (February 14), the Romans celebrated Juno, the goddess of women and marriage.
2. St. Valentine was a true Roman saint. He became a martyr on February 14 around A.D. 270.
3. There is no record showing the connection between St. Valentine (killed on February 14) and celebrating the goddess Juno (also on February 14) until hundreds of years later.
The Myth
Around A.D. 270, Roman men were resisting joining the army during civil uprising. Emperor Claudius temporarily outlawed marriages. Valentine, a Catholic priest, disobeyed the emperor and continued to perform marriage ceremonies. He was caught and put in Jail. Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter. On February 14, Valentine was beheaded. He left a note to the jailer’s daughter signed, “From Your Valentine.”
Miscellaneous Valentine’s Day Fun Facts
Hallmark Company produced its first Valentine’s card in 1913. In 2000, Hallmark offered 1,330 different Valentine’s cards.
Americans spend over $3.6 billion on Valentine’s Day.
About 1 billion Valentine’s cards are exchanged each year—second only to Christmas.
Women purchase 80% of Valentine’s cards.
Valentine’s has the highest percentage of hand-delivered cards—52%.
Valentine's Myths
If you find a glove on Valentine’s Day, your future spouse will have the other glove.
The number of seeds you find in an apple you eat on Valentine’s Day indicates how many children you will have.