Valentine's Day
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Saint Valentine is known as the patron saint of lovers. Valentine’s Day is celebrated each year on 14 February by people giving presents of cards, flowers (often red roses) and sweets or chocolates.
Who was Saint Valentine?
There are at least two Saint Valentines recognised by the Catholic Church.
One was a priest named Valentine who lived in Rome in the third century. He was imprisoned and later executed by the Emperor Claudius on February 14, in the year 269 AD. One version of this story says that Valentine was imprisoned because he secretly married lovers, even though the Emperor Claudius had forbidden it so that he would have a supply of unmarried young men for his armies.
A different Valentine, the Bishop of Terni, was killed the same year by order of the Emperor for being a Christian.
Another story says that Valentine fell in love with his jailer’s daughter, and sent a letter to her the night before he was to be executed – the first ‘valentine card’.
Romance fiction reading guide
3, 2, 1 ... Valentine's Day
Celebrate Galentine's Day: 13 February
For adults
Non-fiction
Fiction and poetry
More love and romance
For teens
For kids
Origins and history
- Valentine's Day
- Article from Britannica Library Kids. Use at a library or enter your library card & password / PIN.
- Valentine's Day
- Article from World Book Online Kids. Use at a library or enter your library card & password / PIN.
- The History of Valentine’s Day
- Retrieved January 29, 2024 from History.com
- Valentine’s Day
- From Encyclopædia Britannica Online in our eResources. Use at a library or enter your library card & password / PIN.
- Valentine
- The Oxford Dictionary of Saints (5 rev. ed.), David Hugh Farmer, 2011. From Oxford Reference in our eResources. Use at a library or enter your library card & password / PIN.
Images
See more images of Love, marriage and weddings in Canterbury Stories.
