Who was Saint Valentine, and why is Valentine’s Day celebrated?
Millions of Americans express their love for their spouses or loved ones on February 14 by giving them flowers, cards, or candies. Although some consider it a commercialized “Hallmark holiday,” the event has historical roots in Roman times and is associated with Saint Valentine.
The ideal time of year to ask someone out or to make a lasting commitment to a partner is Valentine’s Day. It might also be a wonderful day to eat with loved ones or take some time for yourself.
However, other Americans complain that the occasion makes them feel lonely if they aren’t in a relationship or that it overcommercializes love.
68% of Americans in relationships intended to celebrate Valentine’s Day last year, compared to 24% of single people, according to a 2024 CBS News/YouGov study. It was anticipated that roughly 50% of Americans would observe the day.
Regardless of how much you love or hate the event, its rich and long history may surprise you.
Why is Valentine’s Day observed?
A loosely related festival of love has been observed in the second week of February since the time of the ancient Romans. However, according to Yale professor of classics and history Noel Lenski, how people show their love during this season is “conditioned by the historical circumstances they live in,” he told CBS News.
The Romans commemorated the founding of Rome and the fertility deity Lupercus with a festival called Lupercalia on February 15th for around a millennium, beginning in the 5th century B.C.
This day, which persisted until the fifth century C.E., was basically a drunken, sexually suggestive celebration at the Palatine Hill in Italy when men would sacrifice a dog and beat young ladies who wanted to become fertile with its hide. A month before Julius Caesar’s assassination on March 15, 44 B.C., when Caesar famously turned down the Roman general Mark Antony’s offer of the throne, the most well-known Lupercalia event was held.
The empire got more “buttoned up,” as Professor Lenski put it, after the Catholic Church took control of Rome. In the fifth century, Rome’s Lupercalia Day was abolished by Pope Gelasius I. On February 14, Christians started celebrating Saint Valentine and the sanctity of marriage with a feast. According to Lenski, there is no concrete evidence that Saint Valentine’s feast may have served as a substitute for Lupercalia.
This day is incredibly mysterious in many ways. It’s always the case that historians don’t know everything.
Valentine’s Day changed with the times, and gift-giving started in the 14th century, according to Lenski. As people of that era seemed to think of the day as being about love, poetry, and presents, the celebration became increasingly secular.
“Valentine’s Day is characteristic of the place and time,” Lenski stated. “It says more about the times than it does about Saint Valentine.”
Saint Valentine was who?
According to Lenski, Saint Valentine is more of a legend than a real person—two people, actually. The martyred bishops “who died on behalf of the Christian church in the face of persecution from the Romans” are linked to Saint Valentine, he claimed. According to Lenski, one of the traditions is that a Pagan ruler of Rome executed a bishop who secretly performed marriage rites.
The idea that there were more than one fabled Saint Valentine is denied by Father Michael Clark of Saint Paul’s Roman Catholic Church in Connecticut.
“I have seen his skull with my own eyes,” stated the man.
According to Father Michael, Saint Valentine was a genuine person, or at the very least, the guy who was celebrated by the church with a feast was not a myth. He claimed that although he was unaware of the covert marriage rituals, people were deeply moved by Valentine’s martyrdom for his faith.
“Martyrdom, the giving up of your life, is uncompromising,” Father Michael declared. “We want to think of our love as uncompromising, too.” According to him, we love someone when they are “someone we’d be prepared to give our all for.”
According to the Bible’s Song of Solomon 8:6, “love is stronger than death.” According to Father Michael, this quotation encapsulates the reasons why Saint Valentine’s teachings have such a lasting influence on people. Martyrs demonstrate to everyone that love transcends life, which is one of the few things that binds us all together.
In the United States, the celebration of love has persisted even though the church no longer observes Saint Valentine’s feast on February 14.
Now, how is Valentine’s Day observed in the United States?
In the United States, Valentine’s Day has grown to be a significant commercial event, and the love—or rather, the spending—keeps expanding. The National Retail Federation projects that Valentine’s Day spending in 2025 will reach a record $27.5 billion. Candy, flowers, and greeting cards are perhaps the most requested gifts, followed by jewelry and a night out.
However, Valentine’s Day is also a reflection of the times for contemporary Americans, much like it was for the Romans or the British in the late Middle Ages.
The flames that devastated the L.A. County region in January are influencing how her neighborhood is celebrating this year, lifestyle expert Kathy Copcutt told CBS News.
This year, Copcutt said, she and her 11-year-old would have a low-key meal with her close friends and their children to celebrate “celebrating life.”
Valentine’s Day, she added, is a wonderful opportunity to “step out” of daily stress and spend time with those you care about.
“I think this year it’s more about being surrounded by your loved ones and friends because, thank God, they all made it,” she stated. “Friends and family cannot be replaced, but property can. They’re all in my arms.
Copcutt stated that she is referring to the family party as “Falentine’s Day.” Doing a “Galentine’s Day” with friends is another well-liked celebration activity. Copcutt advises enjoying a high tea, which is a popular choice this year, according to her.
In 2025, she also highlighted self-love.
“It’s fantastic if you can take a day off and look after yourself. But Valentine’s Day is my pick if you had to pick just one day,” she remarked. “Do not be afraid to be alone.”
According to Father Michael, if one does not love oneself, one cannot love one’s neighbor. For this reason, he also encourages individuals to “be good to yourself” both on Valentine’s Day and every day. “You are inherently loveable.”
Whether you’re celebrating with your friends, family, spouse, or children, keep in mind that Valentine’s Day is one of the greatest days to celebrate human love, which has practically always existed.
