Saint Valentine's Day

Saint Valentine's Day is commonly known as Valentine's Day, or the Feast of Saint Valentine. St. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration of a priest named Valentinus, who served during the third century in Rome. The most popular legend associated with St.Valentine is that when Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

During his imprisonment, he is said to have fallen in love with the daughter of his jailor, Asterius, who visited him during his confinement. Legend states that before his execution he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today.

Popular Valentine’s Day symbols include flowers, cupid, arrows, love birds, the color red and hearts.