Saint Valentine's Day, or simply Valentine's Day, which falls on February 14, has become the traditional day every year when expressions of love are made using cards, candy or flowers. The Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines will be exchanged worldwide, making it the most popular holiday except for Christmas when over two and a half billion cards are sent.
Many legends have developed over the years as to the origin of Valentine's Day, but most agree that it refers to a man named Valentinus who was martyred in the late third century during the reign of Claudius II. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, three men with the name Valentinus, which was common at that time, were martyred between 269 and 273 AD. Two of the most popular legends that have endured come from the 15th Century. One claims that on the night before Valentine was to be martyred for being a Christian, he passed a love note to his jailer's daughter that read, "From your Valentine." Another states that during a ban on marriages of Roman soldiers by the Emperor Claudius II, St. Valentine secretly helped arrange marriages. Claudius felt that in order to create a perfect army, soldiers should not have to deal with the distractions of marriage. Valentine believed that men who were about to face danger and possible death could only exhibit the required bravery if they were sent off to battle with the love of a wife.
Another theory — regarding the observance of Valentine's Day on February 14 — is that it is the Church's response to the ancient Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia on February 15. In the fifth century, Pope Gelasius abolished Lupercalia and declared that the feast of St. Valentine would be on February 14.
Valentine's Day has also now become a time to celebrate the permanence of marriage and to encourage couples to renew their vows. Since 1996, the seven days leading up to Valentine's Day have been designated as Marriage Week USA according to Smart Marriages which can be contacted at www.smartmarriages.com/.
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