1. The real Valentine is shrouded in mystery.
Although he lived in the third century AD, almost nothing is known about this saint or the life he led. It’s not even clear how many holy men named Valentine there were, or which one is honored on Valentine’s Day.
Regardless, fragments about the saint have become the realm of legends. The consensus is that he was a priest who broke the law by doing what he believed. Some stories say that he performed marriages between soldiers and his loved ones. In Rome during that time, this was against the law. Soldiers were not allowed to marry. When Valentine was captured, he was imprisoned and sentenced to death for defying Roman rule.
Another story also involves his imprisonment, but this time for practicing his faith and refusing to worship the emperor. While in prison, he befriended the jailer’s daughter. He prayed for her, and she was healed of her illnesses. On the night of her execution, Valentine gave her friend a note from her to comfort her. She simply said, “From your Valentine.”
2. Matchmaking was an ancient Roman tradition that preceded Valentine’s Day
The lupercalia was a festival that was celebrated every year in ancient Rome between February 13 and 15. Its purpose was to cleanse and protect the community. Some of the holiday traditions were meant to get rid of evil spirits and bless the crops.
There was also a matchmaking component to the festivities. The women put their names in an urn. The men chose names from the ballot box. Couples formed by this lottery system were expected to stay together for a year. Surprisingly, many of these random matches resulted in marriages.
Centuries later, this ancient celebration merged with the new tradition of honoring Valentine on February 14. The new holiday was much more subdued, but some of the romantic aspects of the festival continued.
3. Valentine’s Day cards were all the rage in Victorian England
In the Middle Ages, nobles wrote (or hired others to write for them) passionate love notes to loved ones. But it wasn’t until the Victorian era in the mid-19th century that sending Valentine’s cards became a popular custom.
First they were handmade cards adorned with lace and ribbons. They were fancy cards with intricate designs that included cutouts and pop-ups. The tradition caught on in England and came to the United States several decades later.
With advances in printing technology, cards began to be mass produced. Currently, 180 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year in the US alone. Designs continue to evolve, but floral and heart themes are still as popular as they were in the Victorian era.