According to legend, in the third century, there was a Christian priest by the name of Valentine. The Emperor of the time, Claudius II, had outlawed marriage for young men because, in his view, unmarried men made better soldiers.
Valentine disobeyed the law and continued to marry couples in secret until being discovered. This led to his arrest, torture and finally a death sentence. While he awaited execution, he fell madly in love with the jailer’s blind daughter. This miraculously cured her blindness, which later led to the church declaring him a saint. During their courtship, the lovers were able to send love notes and letters to each other. This is said to be the origin of “valentines”.
However, the evidence to support this legend is scarce. The Catholic Church itself recognises at least three different saints named Valentine. All of them martyred and all remembered on the 14th of February. In spite of this, though, some insist that it was Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop, who was the true “Valentine” of this legend. Claudius II executed him, too.
Others defend that the holiday originated from the “Christianization” of a pagan festival. This one was called “Lupercalia”, celebrated on the 15th of February. This festival, by comparison, was much more carnal and violent. It revolved around sexually charged encounters with random people and animal sacrifices in the hopes of warding off infertility and evil spirits.
Regardless of which one is true, it was much later when the date became associated with love and romance. It’s during middle ages we see the first poems and “Valentins” emerge, saying that Valentine’s Day is a day for romance and love. An example of this is the poem “Parliament of Foules,” by the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer in 1375.