Valentine’s Day, that annual explosion of red roses, heart-shaped chocolates, and sentimental cards, is upon us once again. But behind the bouquets and sweet treats lies a history as tangled as a box of assorted truffles. While most Americans and countless others around the world mark February 14 as a day to celebrate love and friendship, the origins of this holiday are far more complex—and, in some cases, much darker—than the greeting cards would have you believe.
According to National Geographic, the story of Valentine’s Day stretches back to ancient Rome, where a festival called Lupercalia was held each year on February 15. Far from being a romantic affair, Lupercalia was a raucous celebration aimed at purifying the city and promoting fertility. The rituals included the sacrifice of a goat and a dog by priests known as the Luperci. These priests would then use strips of the sacrificed animals’ skins to gently strike women, who believed this act would increase their fertility. As CNN notes, "The event, which was held on February 15, began with the traditional sacrifice of an unfortunate goat and a dog. And if that didn’t make Cupid’s arrows fly, a group of priests called Luperci cut off a piece of skin from the two animals, touched it to their foreheads, and then struck it against all the nearby women."
Another Roman festival sometimes linked to Valentine’s Day is Juno Februata, in which young men drew the names of women from a box, forming couples for the duration of the festival—sometimes these pairings led to marriage. While historians debate the precise connections between these ancient rituals and the modern holiday, there’s little doubt that the mid-February timing and themes of fertility and pairing influenced the evolution of Valentine’s Day.
By the late 5th century, the tone of the celebration began to shift. Pope Gelasius I, having apparently seen enough of Lupercalia’s wild rituals, replaced the festival with a day honoring Saint Valentine. As USA Today reports, "Pope Gelasius I officially declared February 14 as Valentine’s Day in 494 AD," moving the focus from animal sacrifice to expressions of love. But who exactly was Saint Valentine?
The answer, it turns out, isn’t straightforward. There are at least two historical figures named Valentine who may have inspired the holiday. One was a priest in Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius II in the 3rd century. Claudius, hoping to bolster his military ranks, banned marriage for young men, believing single men made better soldiers. Valentine defied this edict, secretly marrying couples in love. When discovered, he was imprisoned and ultimately executed on February 14, 269 AD. According to the legend, while in prison, Valentine befriended (and possibly fell in love with) Julia, the blind daughter of his jailer. Before his execution, he is said to have miraculously restored her sight and sent her a note signed, "From your Valentine." This phrase, immortalized in countless cards, became a lasting symbol of romantic devotion.
Another Saint Valentine, sometimes thought to be the same person, was a bishop from Terni who also performed secret marriages. The stories of both men blend together over time, creating a tapestry of legend and martyrdom that forms the backbone of the holiday’s religious roots. As Investors Observer summarizes, "In the 3rd century, Emperor Claudius II banned marriage for young men to improve his army; a priest named Valentine defied this by secretly marrying couples and was executed on February 14, 269 AD."
The romantic association with Valentine’s Day, however, didn’t truly take flight until the Middle Ages. The English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was among the first to explicitly link the feast of Saint Valentine with romantic love in his 1381 poem celebrating the engagement of King Richard II. Chaucer wrote of birds choosing their mates on Valentine’s Day, a charming image that caught on with other writers, including Shakespeare. By the late 18th century, exchanging love poems and handmade cards had become a cherished tradition in England, eventually crossing the Atlantic to the United States.
The commercialization of Valentine’s Day began in earnest in the 19th century. Esther Howland, an American entrepreneur, is credited with producing the country’s first mass-market Valentine’s cards in 1847. In 1868, Richard Cadbury introduced the now-iconic heart-shaped box of chocolates, forever linking sweets with the holiday. As CNN notes, "Esther Howland became one of the first American manufacturers of Valentine’s cards. Richard Cadbury followed with the creation of the first box of chocolates in 1868." The tradition of giving flowers, particularly red roses, soon followed, and by the 20th century, advertising and commerce had transformed Valentine’s Day into the gift-giving extravaganza we know today.
But all that romance doesn’t come cheap. According to Investors Observer, the cost of a typical Valentine’s Day gift package—including a box of chocolates, diamond earrings, a dozen roses, dinner for two, and a card—has soared in the past decade. In 2016, such a package cost $512.03 USD, with a bottle of champagne included. By 2026, the champagne was swapped for a card, but the overall price had jumped to $774.39 USD, an increase of $262.36 USD. The steepest rise was seen in the price of chocolates, which more than tripled from $15.11 to $50.70 USD, while dinner for two more than doubled from $80.46 to $209 USD. Even as some lament the holiday’s commercialization (a complaint dating back to the 19th century, as El País points out), the desire to celebrate love—however costly—remains undiminished.
Valentine’s Day isn’t celebrated the same way everywhere. While countries like the United States, Mexico, Spain, and France embrace February 14 with gusto, others have put their own spin on the holiday. In Finland and Estonia, the day is dedicated to friendship rather than romance. Brazil celebrates "Dia dos Namorados" on June 12 in honor of Saint Anthony, the patron of marriage. Colombia marks the Day of Love and Friendship in September, using the occasion to play "amigo secreto" (secret friend). Meanwhile, in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia, the celebration is banned for religious reasons.
Despite its tangled roots and shifting customs, Valentine’s Day endures as a rare moment in the calendar dedicated to affection—romantic, platonic, or otherwise. Whether you’re exchanging gifts with a partner, friends, or simply indulging in a little self-love, the day offers a welcome break from the winter doldrums and a chance to celebrate the enduring power of human connection.