Some of us look forward to Valentine's Day, some of us dread it, and some of us dismiss it as a marketing gimmick. But how many of us know the history of this festival of love?

Valentine's Day - The Official Declaration

We owe the existence of Valentine's Day to the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia. Lupercalia was celebrated on the 15th of February every year. Names of young girls would be written on chits of paper, and the chits would then be drawn by young men. The couples would then go on to enjoy a night of wining, dining and sexual pleasures.

This festival was frowned upon by more conservative elders and the members of the church. However, they knew they couldn't ban the festival completely. They needed to come up with an alternative. Instead of paying tribute to the wanton goddess Juno, as they did on Lupercalia, they needed a more conservative idol.

Saint Valentine was a respected bishop who had been martyred centuries ago, on the 14th of February, which was just a day before Lupercalia. So, in their endeavor to convert the festival to romance instead of one of lust, they embellished the story of his death a bit, added a romantic twist, and declared it Valentine's Day an official festival.

The story of St. Valentine

In the year 270 AD, when Claudius II was the emperor of Rome, he inherited an empire which was heading towards disaster. Administration had reached an all-time low and taxation had reached an all-time high! Trade was in a slump and the economy was in shambles. The Roman Empire had grown too large, and it was proving difficult to hold on to it.

One of the first things Claudius did when he sat on the throne was to issue a dictate prohibiting marriage. The reason behind issuing this heartless law Claudius felt that married men were very emotional and were very attached to their families. As a result, not many of them were keen to become soldiers, and as for those soldiers who were already married - they did not display the ruthlessness and single-minded dedication of their unmarried counterparts. With pressure increasing on the boundaries of Rome, Claudius felt the need to resort to these drastic measures before the empire totally fell apart.

St. Valentine, a bishop at a Church close to Rome, resolved to help young lovers who wanted to seal their love with the bond of matrimony. His fame quickly spread amidst hushed tones, among the lovers of Rome. Once a couple had decided to get married, they would contact Valentine, arrange for a secret meeting, and he would then unite the couple and pronounce them man and wife.

Time passed, and eventually Claudius got wind of this friend of lovers. He had him arrested, and on the 14th February, he was executed.

Legend has it that before his execution, Valentine had fallen in love with the jailor's daughter. She was blind, and through his miraculous healing powers, he restored her sight. On the day of his execution he asked for a pen and paper, on which he scribbled a farewell message and signed it 'From Your Valentine'.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Valentine Cards

One of the first Valentine's Day cards was sent in the year 1415 by Charles, the duke of Orleans, to his wife. Charles was imprisoned in the Tower of London, and he spent this time to make cards for his wife, telling her how much he loved her. These cards are now in display at the British museum.