The First Valentine Paid a high Price to Honour his Loved One

The current view on the origins of Valentine’s Day is that this celebration of love originated during the third century in Rome. During this time, Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers, so he outlawed marriage for young men. A young priest named Valentine was furious with this injustice and defied Claudius by continuing to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. Claudius eventually discovered Valentine's actions and sentenced him to death

During his time in jail, Valentine fell in love with his jailer's daughter, who visited him in prison. Before he was put to death, Valentine sent a letter to the girl and signed it, "From Your Valentine" — an expression we still use today. Valentine was executed on February 14, 270 AD. Later, around 496 AD, Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 a day to honour Valentine, who by that time had become a saint.

Today, we continue to honour St. Valentine and recall the history of Valentine's Day each year on February 14 by celebrating our love for significant others, friends, and family. For thousands of years, the middle of February has been a time for fertility festival celebrations, so it is no wonder Valentine's Day flowers are often the Valentine's Day gift of choice around this time of year. For centuries, flowers have symbolized fertility, love, marriage, and romance.