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1. The Real Saint Valentine Is Shrouded In Thriller

Regardless that he lived in the third century AD, nearly nothing is known about this saint or the life he led. It is not even clear how many holy men named Valentine there have been, or which one is honored on Valentine's Day.

Regardless, bits and pieces in regards to the saint have made it into the realm of legends. The consensus is that he was a priest who broke the law doing what he believed in. Some stories say he performed marriages between soldiers and their beloveds. In Rome during that time, this was in opposition to the law. Soldiers were not allowed to marry. When Valentine was caught, he was imprisoned and put to loss of life for defying Roman rules.

Another story additionally involves his imprisonment, however this time for working towards his faith and refusing to worship the emperor. While in prison, he turned friends with the jailer's daughter. He prayed for her, and she was healed of her maladies. On the night time of his execution, Valentine gave his friend a note to comfort her. It read, quite merely, "From Your Valentine."

2. Matchmaking Was An Historic Roman Tradition That Preceded Valentine's Day

Lupercalia was a festival that took place each year in historical Rome between the thirteenth and fifteenth of February. Its purpose was to cleanse and protect the community. A few of the festival traditions have been meant to eliminate evil spirits and bless crops.

There was also a matchmaking component to the festivities. Women put their names in an urn. Men picked names from the urn. The couples formed by this lottery system have been anticipated to remain together for a year. Surprisingly, many of these random matches resulted in marriages.

Centuries later, this historical celebration merged with the newer tradition of honoring Saint Valentine on February 14. The newer holiday was a lot more subdued, but among the festival's romantic facets carried forward.

3. Valentine Cards Grew to become All The Rage In Victorian England

Within the Center Ages, noblemen wrote (or hired others to write for them) impassioned love notes to their pricey ones. However it wasn't till the Victorian Period in the mid-1800s that sending valentine cards became a well-liked custom.

First it was handmade cards embellished with lace and ribbon. These were fancy cards with intricate designs that included cutouts and pop-ups. The tradition was popularized in England and made its way to the U.S. several decades later.

With advances in printing technology, cards started to be mass-produced. In the present day 180 million valentine cards are exchanged every year in the U.S. alone. Designs continue to evolve, but heart and floral themes remain as standard as they have been in Victorian times.

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