Love in Bloom

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, There were three different Saint Valentines, all of them martyrs, who were mentioned in the early martyrologies under the date of February 14. One was a priest at Rome, another the bishop of Interamna (modern Terni). They were both executed in the second half of the third century and were buried on the Flaminian Way. At one time, the name of Flaminian Gate of Rome was renamed the Gate of St. Valentine (it is now the Porta del Popolo). It was probably named after a small church nearby that was dedicated to the saint. The third Saint Valentine was martyred in Africa with a number of companions, but nothing further is known of him. All information on these men is of relatively late date and is of no historical value.

Historychannel.com yielded the following information: Evidently Emperor Claudius II decided that single men would make better soldiers than those with wives and families. Consequently, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. Upon learning about these actions of Valentine, Claudius ordered his execution. Other stories suggest that he may have been executed for helping Christians escape Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

There is a later legend that Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. It is believed that Valentine fell in love with a maiden, possibly his jailor's daughter, who visited him in prison. According to the legend, he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine.' Even though the truth of these legends is shrouded in history, they emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and romantic figure. It is no wonder that by the Middle Ages, Valentine had become one of the most popular saints in England and France.

It was generally believed during the Middle Ages that about the middle of February, the birds began to pair. Thus in Chaucer's Parliament of Foules we read:

For this reason the day was looked upon as specially consecrated to lovers and as a proper occasion for writing love letters and sending lovers' tokens. Those who chose each other under these circumstances seem to have been called by each other their Valentines.