Saint Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day is known as the “lover’s holiday,” symbolized with romantic imagery such as the colors red and pink, hearts, cupids and cupid’s arrows, etc. Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14th and has many traditions for lovers to express their love to one another as well as for friends to express their fondness of one another. Some traditions for doing this include sending Valentine's flowers, cards, candy and/or gifts. It is especially common to present flowers on Valentine's Day, such as a bouquet of roses. The holiday is named after three saints named Valentine, thought to be Christian martyrs. It is thought that Valentine’s Day became associated with romance and love because a saint named Valentine secretly married lovers during a time when marriage was banned by the ruling elite who thought the men would be better suited as soldiers if they were not married.

Every year, lover’s, friends and suitors send flowers, gifts and cards in the name of Valentine’s Day (or St. Valentine’s Day). Celebrated on February 14th, this “lover’s holiday” was named after St. Valentine, who was believed to be a Christian martyr who fought to bring lovers together in marriage despite the obstacles of the time. However, the history of Valentine's Day is obscure and is laced with a lot of folklore.

Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Pagan, Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were said to be martyred on February 14th. Which St. Valentine the early pope intended to honor remains a mystery. It is believed that the holiday’s origins are tied to Lupercalia, the ancient Roman festival, a fertility celebration commemorated annually on February 15. Pope Gelasius I recast this pagan festival as a Christian feast day circa 496, declaring February 14 to be St. Valentine's Day. Most scholars believe that the St. Valentine of the holiday was a priest who was disliked and later imprisoned by Roman emperor Claudius II around 270. According to one legend, Claudius II had prohibited marriage for young men, because he thought that unmarried men made better soldiers. Valentine continued to secretly perform marriage ceremonies but was eventually apprehended by the Romans and put to death.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.