History of Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, named after a catholic priest named Valentine, dates back to the third century in Rome. Emperor Claudius II, the ruler of Rome at the time, decreed it unlawful for single men to marry because he believed single men were less distracted by family and love and therefore would make better soldiers. Valentine believing the law to be unfair continued to marry young lovers in secret and until his arrest and eventual death.

While some believe Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to recognize Valentine's death, others believe the celebration began in February in a deliberate effort by the Catholic church to civilize the celebrations of the Lupercalia festival. Marked by the sacrificing of goats and the dripping of the goat's blood on women and crops, the Catholic church deemed these celebrations uncivilized and attempted to "christianize" them with the celebration of St. Valentine's day. As part of the Lupercalia celebration, young women would drop their names into a big urn and young single men would draw their names. The couples would remained paired for a year, with many of the pairs ending in marriage.