Back in the third century A.D. when Emperor Claudius II ruled Rome, the emperor decided that single men made better soldiers than married men, so since he needed an ever ready supply of soldiers to control his far-flung empire, he outlawed marriage for young men.
Along came Valentine, a Christian priest, who felt such a decision was unjust. At the same time the majority of Christians were also pacifist, following the teachings of the early Church, and did not want to serve in Rome's legions anyway. So Valentine defied the emperor and married many young couples in secret.
When Valentine was discovered, Claudius ordered him arrested and executed. Here the story can get murky, with some believing the sentence was carried out while others suggest he eventually died in prison.
One of the more embroidered bits of the story has Valentine actually sending the first valentine while he was in prison to the jailer's daughter, who often visited him during his confinement. Not surprising, because in those days priests were usually married.
It wasn't until 498 that Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 St. Valentine's Day (supposedly the day of his death.) But the saint did not become popular as the patron of lovers until much later, both because the Christian church was trying to Christianize pagan celebrations, which included a fertility festival in mid-February, and because during the Middle Ages many believed Feb. 14 was the beginning of the birds’ mating season.
Valentines were first exchanged during the late Middle Ages, a custom that grew more and more popular with commercial valentines becoming available in the 19th century.
Today the Greeting Card Association estimates a billion valentine cards are sent each year, not just between lovers, but to children, parents and friends as well.
<tgl>Mary Anne Weber