The History of Valentine’s Day Explained

www.clickusanews.com | February 14, 2026

Every February 14th, millions of people across the globe exchange cards, chocolates, and flowers with their loved ones. But behind the commercial celebration of modern Valentine’s Day lies a captivating story that spans nearly 2,000 years—one filled with ancient rituals, Christian martyrs, medieval romance, and the evolution of love itself.

Let’s journey through the remarkable history of Valentine’s Day and discover how this ancient tradition became the celebration of love we know today.

The Ancient Roman Origins: Lupercalia’s Wild Beginnings

Long before Valentine’s Day cards and heart-shaped boxes, ancient Romans celebrated Lupercalia—a fertility festival held every February 15th that would make modern celebrations look tame by comparison.

During Lupercalia, Roman priests called Luperci gathered at a sacred cave where Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome, were believed to have been nursed by a she-wolf. The festival involved sacrificing goats and a dog, then using strips of the animal hides to whip young women, believing it would enhance their fertility in the coming year.

The celebration also featured a matchmaking lottery where young men drew names of women from a jar, pairing them together for the duration of the festival—or sometimes longer. While certainly different from today’s romantic dinners, Lupercalia’s focus on fertility and pairing partners planted early seeds for what would eventually become Valentine’s Day.

Who Was Saint Valentine? The Mystery Behind the Legend

The Christian transformation of the pagan festival centers on one—or possibly three—martyrs named Valentine. The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different Saint Valentines who were martyred, creating a historical puzzle that endures to this day.

The most popular legend tells of Valentine, a priest in third-century Rome, who defied Emperor Claudius II’s ban on marriages for young soldiers. Claudius believed unmarried men made better warriors, but Valentine continued performing secret wedding ceremonies for young lovers. When discovered, he was executed on February 14th around 270 AD.

Another tale claims that while imprisoned, Valentine fell in love with his jailer’s daughter and sent her the first “valentine” greeting—a letter signed “From your Valentine,” a phrase still used today. Yet another story suggests Valentine helped Christians escape brutal Roman prisons.

Whether one man or a composite of several, Saint Valentine became synonymous with romantic love and sacrifice. Pope Gelasius officially established February 14th as St. Valentine’s Day around 496 AD, deliberately replacing the pagan Lupercalia festival with a Christian feast day.

Medieval Romance: When Love Became Literary

The association between Valentine’s Day and romantic love truly blossomed during the Middle Ages, particularly in England and France where courtly love traditions flourished.

Medieval Europeans believed that February 14th marked the beginning of birds’ mating season, adding natural symbolism to the day’s romantic connotations. The earliest known valentine poem dates to 1415, written by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt.

Geoffrey Chaucer, author of “The Canterbury Tales,” was instrumental in popularizing Valentine’s Day as a celebration of romance through his 1382 poem “Parliament of Foules,” which linked St. Valentine’s Day to romantic love for possibly the first time in literature. This literary tradition spread across Europe, transforming February 14th into a day for expressing affection through poetry and love letters.

The Birth of Valentine’s Day Cards: Victorian Innovation

By the 18th century, exchanging handmade cards, flowers, and confections had become common among all social classes in Britain. However, the Victorian era transformed Valentine’s Day into the commercial holiday we recognize today.

Esther Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” revolutionized the tradition in America during the 1840s. After receiving an elaborate English valentine, she began mass-producing decorative cards featuring lace, ribbons, and colorful pictures. Her business grossed $100,000 annually—an astronomical sum for the time—and helped establish Valentine’s Day as a major American tradition.

Victorian valentines became increasingly elaborate, featuring gold embossing, lace, satin, hand-painted designs, and romantic verses. The era’s strict social rules made these cards particularly important, as they allowed people to express feelings that were otherwise difficult to communicate openly.

Valentine’s Day Goes Global: The 20th Century Boom

The 20th century witnessed Valentine’s Day’s transformation into a global commercial phenomenon. Hallmark Cards, founded in 1910, began mass-producing valentine cards in 1913, making them affordable and accessible to everyone.

Chocolates became inseparably linked with Valentine’s Day thanks to innovative companies like Cadbury, which created the first heart-shaped box of chocolates in 1868, and later Hershey’s Kisses, introduced in 1907. These sweet treats transformed February 14th into a multi-sensory celebration.

Red roses emerged as the ultimate Valentine’s Day symbol during this period, with the flower industry recognizing the commercial potential. The tradition draws from ancient associations—Romans linked red roses with Venus, goddess of love, while Victorian flower language designated red roses as symbols of deep love and passion.

Modern Celebrations: Valentine’s Day Today

Today, Valentine’s Day is celebrated worldwide, though traditions vary significantly by culture and country. Americans spend over $25 billion annually on Valentine’s Day celebrations, making it one of the most commercially significant holidays after Christmas.

In Japan, women traditionally give chocolates to men on February 14th, with men returning the gesture on “White Day” one month later. South Korea takes it further with monthly love celebrations throughout the year. Finland and Estonia celebrate “Friend’s Day” instead, emphasizing platonic relationships alongside romantic ones.

The digital age has added new dimensions to Valentine’s Day celebrations. E-cards, social media declarations, and virtual gifts allow instant expressions of affection across any distance. Dating apps experience their highest traffic in the weeks leading up to February 14th, while online retailers see massive spikes in flower and chocolate sales.

Modern celebrations have also evolved to include “Galentine’s Day” (February 13th) celebrating female friendships, “Singles Awareness Day” for those not in relationships, and various pet-focused celebrations as people extend Valentine’s traditions to their furry companions.

Fascinating Valentine’s Day Facts

• Teachers receive the most Valentine’s Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and pets.

• Approximately 250 million roses are produced for Valentine’s Day worldwide.

• More than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold for Valentine’s Day annually.

• Over 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year in the United States alone.

• Valentine’s Day is the second-largest card-sending holiday after Christmas.

• The oldest known valentine still in existence was written in 1415.

The Enduring Power of Love

From ancient Roman fertility rituals to medieval poetry, from Victorian love letters to modern digital expressions, Valentine’s Day has continuously evolved while maintaining its core purpose: celebrating love and human connection.

Whether you embrace the commercial aspects, prefer intimate celebrations, or focus on friendships and self-love, Valentine’s Day serves as an annual reminder of love’s enduring importance in human society. The holiday’s remarkable journey through history reflects our timeless need to express affection, celebrate relationships, and honor the bonds that make life meaningful.

As we exchange cards, chocolates, and flowers this February 14th, we participate in a tradition that connects us to countless generations before us—all united by the universal language of love.

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