Valentine's Day, also known as Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated each year on February 14. It began as a Christian holiday that honored a martyr named Valentine. Over time, through customs passed down through generations, it became an important celebration of love, commitment, and romance in many parts of the world.

There are several stories about different Saint Valentines connected to February 14. One story describes Saint Valentine of Rome being imprisoned for helping Christians who were being persecuted by the Roman Empire in the third century. According to an early tradition, Saint Valentine helped a blind girl regain her sight. Later stories added details that linked Saint Valentine to love, such as performing weddings for Christian soldiers who were not allowed to marry by the Roman emperor. An 18th-century story claims he wrote a letter to the daughter of his jailer, signing it "Your Valentine" before his execution.

The 8th-century Gelasian Sacramentary recorded the Feast of Saint Valentine being celebrated on February 14. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the day became connected to romantic love, possibly because of the idea of "lovebirds" that appear in early spring. By the 18th century in England, couples began expressing love through gifts like flowers, candy, and greeting cards called "valentines." Symbols used today include hearts, doves, and the image of Cupid. In the 19th century, handmade cards were replaced by mass-produced greetings. In Italy, Saint Valentine's keys are given to lovers as a symbol of love and to children to help prevent a condition called Saint Valentine's Malady.

The Feast of Saint Valentine is a day of remembrance in the Lutheran Church and is listed in the calendar of saints in the Anglican Communion. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Saint Valentine's Day is celebrated on July 6 to honor Roman presbyter Saint Valentine and on July 30 to honor Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni).

Saint Valentine

Many early Christian martyrs were named Valentine. The Valentinuses honored on February 14 include Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae). Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who was killed in 269 and buried on the Via Flaminia. The remains of Saint Valentine were kept in the Church and Catacombs of San Valentino in Rome, which remained an important place for pilgrims during the Middle Ages until the remains were moved to the church of Santa Prassede during the time when Nicholas IV was the Pope (1288–1292). The skull of Saint Valentine, decorated with flowers, is displayed in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome. Other remains are located at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland.

Valentine of Terni became the bishop of Interamna (now Terni, in central Italy) and is believed to have been killed during the persecution under Emperor Aurelian in 273. He is buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location from Valentine of Rome. His remains are at the Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni (Basilica di San Valentino). Professor Jack B. Oruch of the University of Kansas notes that "summaries of the stories of the two saints were found in nearly every church and monastery in Europe." A relic believed to be the head of Saint Valentine of Terni was kept in the abbey of New Minster, Winchester, and was honored by people.

The Catholic Encyclopedia mentions a third Saint Valentine who was listed in early records under February 14. He was killed in Africa with others, but no other details about him are known.

February 14 is celebrated as Saint Valentine's Day in many Christian groups. For example, it is marked as a "commemoration" in the Anglican Communion. The feast day of Saint Valentine is also listed in the Lutheran Church calendar. In 1969, the Roman Catholic Church moved the feast day of Saint Valentine from the General Roman Calendar to local calendars because "although the memory of Saint Valentine is old, little is known about him except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14." However, since Saint Valentine is still listed in the Roman Martyrology, he can be honored during Mass outside of Christmastide and Eastertide.

The feast day is still observed in Balzan (Malta), where some people claim relics of the saint are present, and by Traditionalist Catholics worldwide who follow older calendars from before the Second Vatican Council (see General Roman Calendar of 1960).

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Saint Valentine is honored on July 6 for the Roman priest, and on July 30 for the bishop of Interamna.

J.C. Cooper, in The Dictionary of Christianity, writes that Saint Valentine was "a priest in Rome who was imprisoned for helping persecuted Christians." Records about Saint Valentine were likely destroyed during the Diocletianic Persecution in the early 4th century. In the 5th or 6th century, a work called Passio Marii et Marthae described the martyrdom of Saint Valentine of Rome, possibly borrowing details from other saints’ stories, which was common at the time.

The same story appears in Bede’s Martyrology, written in the 8th century. It states that Saint Valentine was punished for being a Christian and questioned by Roman Emperor Claudius II. Claudius was impressed by Valentine and tried to convince him to change his faith to Roman paganism to save his life. Valentine refused and instead tried to convert Claudius to Christianity. Because of this, he was executed. Before his death, Valentine is said to have healed Julia, the blind daughter of his jailer Asterius. Julia and her family of 46 members, including servants, believed in Jesus and were baptized.

A later story claims that Pope Julius I built a church over Valentine’s tomb, though this may be confused with a 4th-century official named Valentino who donated land for a church during Julius’s time. This story was included in later records, starting with Bede’s Martyrology in the 8th century and later in The Golden Legend in the 13th century.

An addition to The Golden Legend, added in the 18th century, claims that Valentine wrote the first "valentine" card to Julia, signing it "Your Valentine." This phrase was later used in modern Valentine letters. This story has been shared by American Greetings and The History Channel.

John Foxe, a 16th-century English historian, and the Order of Carmelites say that Saint Valentine was buried in the Church of Saint Praxedes in Rome, near the cemetery of Saint Hippolytus. According to legend, Julia planted a pink-blossomed almond tree near his grave. Today, the almond tree is a symbol of lasting love and friendship.

Another story suggests that Saint Valentine secretly married soldiers who were not allowed to marry. Emperor Claudius II supposedly banned marriage to increase his army, believing married men were less effective soldiers. However, George Monger writes that Claudius II did not issue such a ban and instead allowed soldiers to take multiple women after his victory over the Goths.

According to legend, Saint Valentine gave heart-shaped pieces of parchment to soldiers and persecuted Christians to remind them of their vows and God’s love. This may be the origin of the widespread use of hearts on Saint Valentine’s Day.

Saint Valentine is said to have worn a purple amethyst ring with an image of Cupid engraved on it, a symbol of love that was legal under the Roman Empire. Roman soldiers recognized the ring and asked him to perform marriages. Because of this association, amethyst became the birthstone for February, believed to attract love.

Folk traditions

Although modern traditions now focus on romantic love for Saint Valentine's Day, some older European customs linked to the arrival of spring still remain.

The practice of giving cards, flowers, chocolates, and other gifts began in the United Kingdom. However, Valentine's Day is still tied to regional traditions in England. In Norfolk, a figure known as "Jack" Valentine visits homes, knocking on the back door and leaving sweets and gifts for children. While the treats were welcomed, many children felt frightened by this mysterious visitor.

In Slovenia, Saint Valentine, also called Zdravko, was a spring saint associated with health, and he was the protector of beekeepers and pilgrims. A saying in Slovenia states, "Saint Valentine brings the keys of roots," meaning plants and flowers begin to grow on this day. It is also considered the start of work in vineyards and fields. Another belief is that birds mate or propose to each other on this day. A Slovenian proverb says, "Valentin – prvi spomladin" ("Valentine – the first spring saint"), as in some areas, like White Carniola, Saint Valentine's Day marks the beginning of spring.

Historically, Valentine's Day was not always linked to love. Love was traditionally celebrated on March 12 (Saint Gregory's Day) or February 22 (Saint Vincent's Day). Saint Anthony, whose feast day is on June 13, was the patron of love.

Connection with romantic love

The "Feast" (Latin: in natali, meaning "on the birthday") of Saint Valentine began in Christendom and was celebrated by the Western Church to honor one of the Christian martyrs named Valentine, as noted in the 8th-century Gelasian Sacramentary. In Ancient Rome, a festival called Lupercalia was held from February 13 to 15 to honor the pagan gods Pan and Juno, who were associated with love, marriage, and fertility. This festival focused on purification and health, with only a small connection to fertility and no connection to love. The Feast of Saint Valentine did not have romantic meanings until the 14th century, when poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote about "Valentine's Day" in his work Parliament of Fowls, more than 700 years after Lupercalia was no longer celebrated.

Lupercalia was a festival unique to the city of Rome. A similar event, the Festival of Juno Februa, was held in Rome from February 13 to 14. Some sources claim Pope Gelasius I (492–496) ended Lupercalia, but other scholars, such as Bruce Forbes, say there is no proof that Lupercalia and Saint Valentine’s Day are connected. Some researchers suggest Gelasius I replaced Lupercalia with a Christian celebration called the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. However, this festival was celebrated in Jerusalem and later moved to February 14 in Rome because of differences in how dates were calculated.

There is no ancient evidence that people in Lupercalia used a lottery system to pair men and women. This idea first appeared in the 15th century in connection to Valentine’s Day, with later writers linking it to Lupercalia. The tradition of sending valentines began in the Middle Ages, with boys randomly selecting girls’ names. Some priests, like Frances de Sales, tried to stop this practice by having girls choose names of apostles instead. This custom may have started earlier, as seen in the life of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary in the 13th century.

The first known link between Saint Valentine’s Day and love appears in Chaucer’s Parliament of Fowls (1382), which described birds choosing mates. This poem honored the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia. Some scholars believe Chaucer may have been referring to the feast day of a different Saint Valentine, celebrated on May 3, rather than February 14. The date of the year’s start has changed since Chaucer’s time due to changes in the calendar, meaning February 14 in his era would now be February 23.

Chaucer’s poem mentions a tradition of celebrating love on Saint Valentine’s Day, but no earlier records of such a tradition exist. Later writers, like Alban Butler, claimed that Valentine’s customs came from Lupercalia, but this idea has been widely repeated without proof. Other medieval poets, such as Otton de Grandson and John Gower, also wrote about birds mating on Saint Valentine’s Day around the same time.

The earliest known Valentine card is a 15th-century poem written by Charles, Duke of Orléans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in England. The first English Valentine cards appear in the Paston Letters (1477), where Margery Brews called her future husband "my right well-beloved Valentine."

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1600–1601), the character Ophelia mentions Saint Valentine’s Day. John Donne used the idea of birds mating on Valentine’s Day in a poem celebrating the marriage of Elizabeth, daughter of King James I, and Frederick V. The phrase "Roses are red" comes from a tradition that began with Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene (1590).

The modern version of Valentine’s Day poems appears in Gammer Gurton’s Garland (1784), a collection of nursery rhymes. By the early 19th century, paper Valentines became popular in England, with factories producing them in large numbers. Fancy Valentines used lace and ribbons, and by 1835, 60,000 Valentine cards were sent by mail in the United Kingdom.

Celebration and status worldwide

Valentine's Day traditions, such as sending greeting cards, giving candy, and giving flowers, began in early modern England. These customs became popular in English-speaking countries during the 19th century. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, these traditions spread to other countries, similar to how Halloween and parts of Christmas, like Santa Claus, became popular.

Valentine's Day is celebrated in many East Asian countries. People in Singapore, China, and South Korea spend the most money on Valentine's gifts.

In most Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, Saint Valentine's Day is called Día de los Enamorados ("Lovers' Day") or Día del Amor y la Amistad ("Love and Friendship Day"). People often do kind things for their friends.

In Guatemala, the day is called Día del Cariño ("Affection Day"). In the Dominican Republic and El Salvador, people play a game called Amigo secreto ("Secret Friend"), which is similar to the Christmas tradition of Secret Santa.

In Brazil, the day is called Dia dos Namorados ("Lovers' Day" or "Boyfriends/Girlfriends Day") and is celebrated on June 12. This is likely because it is the day before Saint Anthony's Day, when some women perform rituals to find a good partner. Couples exchange gifts, chocolates, cards, and flowers. Valentine's Day on February 14 is not widely celebrated in Brazil because it is close to the Carnival festival, which happens in February or March.

In Colombia, Día del Amor y la Amistad ("Love and Friendship Day") is celebrated on the third Saturday in September. Amigo Secreto is also popular there.

In the United States, about 190 million Valentine's Day cards are sent each year, not counting the cards sent by schoolchildren. Valentine's Day is a major source of economic activity. In 2017, total spending reached $18.2 billion, or about $136 per person. This was higher than the $108 per person spent in 2010. People buy jewelry, flowers, chocolates, candy, and greeting cards. Red roses are the most popular flower. In the U.S., roses are usually imported from Colombia and Ecuador. Early spring tulips are the most popular flowers grown locally.

A 2019 survey found that fewer people celebrated Valentine's Day over the past decade. The main reasons were that the holiday became too commercial, people did not have a partner to celebrate with, or they were not interested in celebrating.

Before the Taliban took control, a street in Kabul called Koch-e-Gul-Faroushi ("Flower Street") was decorated with creative flower arrangements to attract young people celebrating Valentine's Day. In Afghan culture, love is often expressed through poetry. Some young poets use Valentine's Day as a theme to write about issues like the loss of freedoms. They write lines like "I kiss you amid the Taliban."

In Bangladesh, Valentine's Day was first celebrated in 1993 by Shafik Rehman, a journalist who studied in London. He introduced the holiday to Bangladesh through his newspaper, Jaijaidin. Rehman is called the "father of Valentine's Day in Bangladesh." On this day, people in different relationships, such as lovers, friends, and family members, exchange flowers, chocolates, cards, and other gifts. Parks and recreation centers are often full of people celebrating. However, Valentine's Day is not a public holiday in Bangladesh.

Some people in Bangladesh believe celebrating Valentine's Day is not acceptable from a cultural or Islamic perspective. Before Valentine's Day became popular, February 14 was celebrated as an anti-authoritarian day in Bangladesh. This tradition is no longer observed.

In Chinese, Valentine's Day is called "Lovers' Festival" and is also known as the Qixi Festival. This festival is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. According to a legend, two stars, the Cowherd and the Weaver Maid, are separated by the Milky Way but are allowed to meet once a year on this day.

In recent years, some young people in China have also started celebrating White Day, which is a similar tradition.

In ancient India, people honored Kamadeva, the god of love, as seen in carvings at the Khajuraho temples and in the Kamasutra. This tradition faded during the Middle Ages, when public displays of affection became less common. This changed in the 1990s.

Valentine's Day became popular in India around 1992. It spread through TV shows, radio programs, and love letter competitions. Economic changes also helped the card industry grow. This holiday changed how people show affection in public since the Middle Ages.

A 2018 survey found that 68% of people in India did not want to celebrate Valentine's Day. Many Hindu, Muslim, and Christian groups in India do not support the holiday.

In modern times, some Hindu and Islamic traditionalists in India see Valentine's Day as a Western influence caused by globalization. Groups like Shiv Sena and the Sangh Parivar have encouraged people to avoid the holiday, calling it "unIndian." These groups are often middle-class Hindu men who worry globalization will harm traditions like arranged marriages and joint families. Despite these concerns, more people in India are celebrating Valentine's Day.

Some Indian intellectuals criticize Valentine's Day as a tool for "Western imperialism" and "neocolonialism." They say it helps multinational companies profit from commercialism and makes poor people less connected to powerful systems. They also criticize media attacks on people who oppose Valentine's Day as a way to promote the holiday. Right-wing Hindu groups, like the Bajrang Dal, have warned that public displays of affection, such as kissing or hugging, are not allowed. They say, "We are not against love, but we criticize showing love in public places."

Restrictions on Valentine's Day in some countries

Valentine's Day is not celebrated the same way in all countries. In Indonesia and Uzbekistan, some government officials have not encouraged or limited celebrations because of concerns about the influence from Western countries and religious beliefs. In Brunei, Muslim officials have warned against celebrating the holiday, though non-Muslims may observe it privately. In Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman, celebrations are usually not very public due to cultural and religious considerations. In Somalia, some religious leaders have opposed or banned the holiday in certain areas, believing it goes against Islamic teachings.