The holiday of Valentine's Day probably derives irs origins from the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalia. In the early days of Rome, fierce wolves roamed the woods. The Romans called upon one of their gods, Lupercus, to keep the wolves away. A festival held in honor of Lupercus was celebrated February 15th. The festival was celebrated as a spring festival. their calendar was different at that time, with February fallling in the early springtime.

Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II, Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular military campaigns. Claudius the Cruel, as he was known at the time, was having a difficult time getting the soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that Roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. as a result, Claudius canceled all marriages and engagements in Rome.

This is when a Christian priest named Valentine came to defend love in the empire. Valentine began to secretly marry couples despite the emperor's orders. When Emperor Claudius finally found out about these ceremonies, Valentine was sent to prison where he remained until he was beheaded on February 14 in the year 270, and on the eve of the Roman feast of Lupercus. After his death, Valentine was named a saint.

It wasn't until a few hundred years later when Valentine's Day began to develop as we know it. At the time Christianity was beginning to take control of Europe. As part of this effort, the Church sought to do away with pagan holidays. Valentine's Day came to replace the mid-February festival of Lupercus. The spring holiday of Lupercus was renamed in his honor, and the date changed to February 14th.

The earliest extant Valentine's card was sent in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was prisoner in the Tower of London. It is now in the British Museum.

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