St. Valentine, who was he?

Scholars believe that St. Valentine’s Day replaced the pagan Roman festival of Lupercalia, held in mid-February celebrating spring, new life, and fertility in which young men drew the names of women from a jar [No romance there] Christian Pope Gelasius I, forbid the celebration of Lupercalia in the 5th. century. There are books that refer the name to Christian martyrs named Valentine, however, there are many Christian martyrs named Valentine, but one of them wrote letters to the daughter of his jailer signed “from your Valentine.”   In any case, it is almost impossible to pinpoint the origin of the name. There are several Christian churches in Europe that claim to have relics of St. Valentino martyr, like skulls, crowns and such. Do not confuse St. Valentino with Valentinus (Gnostic) or Valentine of Passau.]

In 14th century England, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a poem “Parliament of Fowls” referring to a female eagle’s freedom to choose a mate. In this poem, Chaucer refers to the idea that St. Valentine’s Day is a special day for lovers.^[1]

Finally, in 1913, Hallmark Cards of Kansas City, Mo., began mass-producing valentines, and the rest is history.