Why is Valentine’s Day Celebrated? This History of Valentine’s Day

When trying to find a restaurant that isn’t fully booked this Valentine’s Day, you might find yourself wondering about the origins of the celebration. We know the symbols: roses, chocolates and hearts, but where did they come from?

It might surprise you to know that the origins of the holiday are not as romantic as you might think.

We are going to go through the history of the day, so you can impress any date with your valentine’s knowledge. Get ready for the must-know facts involving a saint, an emperor, executions and more - it’s quite the drama!

Saint Valentine is quite the mysterious figure. There isn’t a lot of reliable information about him, and we’re not quite sure if the stories about him are about two saints or the one (who knew Valentine was such a popular name?)

Here’s what we do know for certain: the Roman Catholic Church recognises St Valentine as a saint of Roman Martyrology. He is also the patron saint of lovers and courtly love.

Outside of these certain facts, we have two legendary tales about St Valentine with some inconsistent details.

The first tale takes place in Ancient Rome, 3 AD. Emperor Claudius II wanted the best soldiers and thought of an angle that might help him achieve this goal. Could improving the athleticism of his soldiers help? Maybe their weapon proficiency? No, the issue was clearly their wives and families! It was this Claudius settled on before outlawing marriage for young men.

Valentine (a priest who was clearly a romantic at heart) couldn’t believe the injustice of the declaration. In response, he performed secret marriages for the young lovers of the empire. However, when Claudius found out he sent Valentine to prison and sentenced him to death.

The second tale follows a similar structure but involves love for Valentine himself.

In this story, Valentine defied the empire by helping persecuted Christians escape the harsh Roman rule. Christians at this time were mainly targeted because their religion prevented them from sacrificing to the emperor, an act that was considered to be high treason. When arrested or imprisoned for being Christian, followers were often tortured and beaten.

Once again, Valentine was caught in this heroic act and sent to prison. But in this tale he falls in love with a girl named Julia (who in some versions is his jailer’s daughter). Some renditions have him heal Julia’s blindness, and others don’t. However there is one aspect of this tale that stays relatively consistent: it is to Julia he sends the first ‘Valentine’.

The night before his execution, Valentine writes a letter to Julia signed ‘From your Valentine’ - this is where the traditional expression originates!

As Saint Valentine was executed on February 14th, it is believed by many that the day started as a way to remember him.

There are also beliefs that celebrations began on this date as a part of Christian efforts to convert pagans. February 14th falls in the middle of a pagan festival called Lupercalia - a fertility festival. As the Church wished to eradicate paganism, the hope was this would encourage pagans to celebrate Christian holidays.

In this poem, Chaucer writes: ”For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird comes there to choose his mate.”

From here, we started to see nobles writing their own poems for their lovers inspired by Chaucer’s own work. These romantic poems were known as ‘valentines’. This is where the tradition of sending poems or cards to a loved one on the romantic holiday stems from.

With all this ancient and medieval history, you might be wondering why the holiday of love is celebrated in this day and age?

Throughout the centuries one thing has remained consistent - love and celebrating those we love. Whether that is through birthdays, anniversaries or…Valentine’s Day!

February 14th is a celebration of love in all shapes and forms. Whether you prefer to go all out with gifts for your girlfriend or keep things low key, it’s the perfect time to show your loved ones you appreciate them through caring gifts, days out or thoughtful gestures.

The celebration of Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be complete without the gifting of flowers, cards or chocolates. Yet these weren’t always the go-to ways to celebrate. Throughout the centuries and across countries there have been unique traditions, all romantic in their own way.

Britain

Flowers were very trendy in Victorian England, and their meanings were even more significant.

Known as ‘The Victorian Flower Language’ today, the Victorian’s assigned a wide array of meanings to flowers and their colours. Many of these meanings are still popular and used today. Let’s take a look at roses as an example:

  • Red Roses symbolise love and passion and are the perfect choice for expressing romantic affection.
  • Pink Roses symbolise grace, elegance and appreciation. A great flower to choose to convey admiration or gratitude.
  • Yellow Roses symbolise friendship and joy. Perfect for friends, family and moments of celebration.
  • White Roses symbolise innocence, purity and new beginnings. These are a great choice for situations where a new chapter is starting or paying tribute to someone.

Italy

In fair Verona, where we lay our scene…

Verona, the Italian city of love, and setting of Romeo and Juliet, comes to life every Valentine’s Day.

Living up to its romantic reputation, the city hosts festivities that last for four days. Featuring heart lanterns to light up the night sky, concerts, dinner specials in many restaurants across the city and a love letter writing contest. Maybe you’ll even find your own Romeo! (and if you do, don’t forget to get him a gift!)

Germany

When you think of pigs, what comes to mind? Well in Germany, pigs are associated with luck and lust. The result is the gifting of pig shaped items, like stuffed toys, on February 14th.

Philippines

The 14th of February is the most popular wedding anniversary in the Philippines. This isn’t a romantic coincidence! The local government holds mass weddings and sponsors wedding events, allowing young couples to get married for free.

The requirements? Couples only need to register their documents beforehand and wear traditional wedding clothes. What a bargain!

Japan

Chocolates are the focus of Valentine’s Day in Japan. In particular, the gifting of chocolates to men in a one-sided exchange to express affection. In order to reciprocate, men give chocolates to women on March 14th on a day known as ‘White Day’.

Valentine Poems

One Valentine’s Day tradition that has stood the test of time is the use of poems in love letters or cards. This tradition originates from the legend of St Valentine and Chaucer’s poem referencing him.

If this tradition takes your fancy, try writing a romantic poem this Valentine’s Day. Poetry is the language of love after all.

Here is our favourite love poem ‘Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’ by William Shakespeare - feel free to steal a line or two to sweeten up your Valentine card!

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

We’ve all seen him with his bow, angelic wings and cute cherub face. He’s mischievous and the god of desire and attraction from Roman mythology. But who is Cupid, and how did he become so connected to the romantic holiday?

The Romans weren’t the most creative bunch when it came to their mythology. Most of their gods originated from Ancient Greece. Aphrodite became Venus, Poseidon became Neptune, and Eros became Cupid.

Despite the renames, the essence of these figures remained the same. For Cupid, he retained the same playful nature and habit of making people fall in love with magical arrows.

The one thing the Romans did change was Cupid’s age. Where Eros was a man who acted on his own impulses, Cupid became an obedient little boy who followed his mother’s wishes (that mother being the goddess of love, Venus).

During the Renaissance period of art, the Roman depiction of Cupid became very popular. As a result, artists featured him in a lot of work. So when greeting card production for Valentine’s Day came around, the inclusion of art depicting Cupid was natural. After all, he’s a god of love and absolutely adorable!

The result? Cupid is now a symbol of February 14th, reminding us that love is playful and full of surprises.

Want to celebrate your girls? Galentine’s Day takes place on February 13th, just before Valentine’s Day, and is a celebration of friendship between women popularised by the show Parks and Recreation.

No matter your relationship status: single, situationship, or committed relationship, Galentine’s is a day you can celebrate. It’s an amazing opportunity to show those around you that you love them deeply, because romantic love isn’t the only love that matters! Buy your girls gifts to show you care or simply have a cute day together.

  1. Around 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent worldwide each year. That’s a lot of cards and a lot of love!
  2. If you’re looking for a generous partner this year, people aged 25-34 spend the most on gifts with an average spend of £33.
  3. Stuck on gift ideas? 27% of women prefer a holiday as their Valentine’s Day (we couldn’t agree more!)
  4. If you want the perfect day to propose, set the date for February 14th when only 10% of people propose.
  5. Single this Valentine’s Day? Don’t fret! Over 60% of peoplewill either spend the day alone or with friends.

Conclusion

Now you know the rich background of this romantic holiday, you can celebrate with a newfound appreciation for the day of love.

Take a look at our Valentine’s pages to make sure you sweep your partner off their feet. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Gifts: Valentines Day Gifts & Ideas 2025 | Valentine’s Day Gifts for Him | Valentine’s Day Gifts for Her | Valentine’s Flowers
Romantic Getaways for Valentine’s Day: Hot Tub and Lodge Breaks | Hotel Spa Breaks | Romantic Getaways Abroad
Other Valentine’s Pages: Valentine’s Day Menus | Valentine’s Day Ideas | Places To Go On Valentine’s Day | Cheap Valentine’s Day Gifts