Valentine’s Day, celebrated on February 14th each year, started out as a Christian feast day honoring one, or even two, early Christian martyrs by the name of St. Valentine. One was Valentine of Rome, a priest who was martyred in 269, and the other, Valentine of Terni, a bishop who was martyred in 273. In 496, Pope Gelasius established Valentine’s Day in honor of Valentine of Rome, who, as legend has it, restored eyesight to his jailer’s daughter and sent her a letter signed “Your Valentine” before he was executed. He apparently also secretly married Roman soldiers.
The association with romance and love, chocolates, cards, and red roses came much later. It started in the 14th and 15th centuries in England, apparently from folklore associated with the love birds of spring. There are many more legends and tales connected to St. Valentine’s Day and its association with love and romance, including Ancient Rome and the celebration of Lupercalia from February 13–15, promoting health and fertility.
Another early association with love is the Charter of the Court of Love, established by King Charles VI of France in 1400. Here, the ladies of the court were called up to decide on disputes of love.
The custom of sending Valentine’s cards originated in the UK and in 1797, a book was even published with sentimental verses, titled The Young Man’s Valentine Writer for those who didn’t have much imagination or the gift of poetry themselves. Valentine’s cards were very popular and even embellished with lace and romantic drawings or accompanied with gifts of bunches of red roses.
In 1868, the British chocolate company, Cadbury, devised so-called “Fancy Boxes,” chocolate-filled boxes in the shape of a heart.
Legends & Lore 