Valentine’s Day, celebrated on February 14, is a day dedicated to love and affection. Its familiar traditions grew over centuries, and its earliest history is less certain than the popular stories suggest.
Several early Christian martyrs were named Valentine. One later legend describes a Roman priest who secretly married couples and was executed under Emperor Claudius II. Another tells of a message signed “Your Valentine” to a jailer’s daughter. These are legends, rather than securely documented accounts of how the modern holiday began. A direct connection between Valentine’s Day and the Roman festival of Lupercalia is also disputed.
Medieval poetry helped connect St. Valentine with romantic love. Over time, that association developed into the exchange of affectionate verses and handwritten notes.
The greeting card industry helped make the celebration familiar to American households. In the mid-19th century, Esther A. Howland built a business producing elaborate, hand-decorated valentines. She did not invent the Valentine’s card: such cards were already available in the United States. Her work helped popularize beautifully ornamented versions inspired by English examples.
Cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts became enduring ways to mark the occasion. The holiday also broadened beyond romance to include expressions of affection for friends and family. However it is celebrated, its appeal rests in the simple pleasure of letting someone know they matter.
From the February 2025 issue. Edited for accuracy.