The history of this holiday—and the story of its patron saint—is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance and that St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition but it's not exactly clear who was Saint Valentine, and how he became associated with this ancient rite.
According to HISTORY, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend claims that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome
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 secretly perform marriages for young lovers. When his actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
But others insist that it was Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop, who was the true namesake of the holiday—he also was beheaded by Claudius II outside Rome.
Some stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. One legend has it that an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first valentine greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl (possibly his jailor's daughter) who visited him during his confinement.
Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter and signed it "From your Valentine," an expression still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is foggy, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, above all, romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.
Turns out, Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though the written ones began to appear only after 1400.
The oldest known valentine still in existence today is a poem from 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.
In addition to the United States, Valentine’s Day is big in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.
It is thought that Americans started exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons, and colorful pictures known as “scrap.” Today, according to Hallmark, an estimated 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, falling behind only Christmas.
A 2022 Monmouth University poll found that 55% of Americans in relationships usually receive a Valentine's Day card from their partner. Combine the other 45% with the over 30% of all American adults without a partner, and most people aren't getting a card from a partner this year.
However, it's the younger generation that seems to be the culprit. The clear majority (64%) of Americans ages 55 and older who are in a relationship say they usually get a card from their partner. This drops to 57% among those ages 35 to 54 and just 41% among those 18-34. Maybe these married folks are more romantic than they give themselves credit for?
Either way, most of them don't want that much from their partners. Just 4% prefer an expensive gift over everything else on Valentine's Day. The majority across age brackets would like a simple gift like chocolates or to spend the night at home with their loved ones.
