It’s hard to imagine what boxes of chocolates and bouquets of roses have to do with a 3rd century Christian martyr, and a priest, no less, but that is indeed where Valentine’s Day got its start.
This priest was martyred by the Roman Emperor around 270AD. It’s believed the reason he met this fate was that he performed marriages in secret, and against the government’s wishes, in order to spare the husbands from being sent off to war. Making the emperor angry was generally a good way to end up dead. He is also thought to have sent a letter to his jailer’s daughter, whom he had befriended, just before his death and signed it “from your Valentine,” giving rise to the modern tradition of Valentine’s cards. As Christianity gained influence, commemorating St. Valentine may have been encouraged as a replacement for a pagan fertility festival called Lupercalia, which involved animal sacrifice.
Today, we have three sapphic books centered around Valentine’s Day.
