On This Day February 14

Remembering Valentine's Day's Probable History

Khen Lim



Valentine's Day Card c.1910
Image source: en.wikipedia.org

February 14 is probably best remembered by the masses as Valentine’s Day, the day where people exchange cards to express love or appreciation and in some cases, the fairer sex receives flowers or other gifts as well. On that day however, someone by the name of Valentine was executed in Rome for his faith but the very odd thing is we don’t exactly know who. Was it Valentine of Rome martyred in 496AD or Valentine of Terni executed around 269AD? Or could it even be a third Valentine martyred on the same day but in Africa?

There have been various legends about Valentine’s death on that day but pinning down one that fits the bill hasn’t been any easier even with modern technologies today. One Valentine was said to have been jailed for getting soldiers wedded in order to avoid conscription, an act forbidden and considered treasonous in the Roman Empire because Claudius II wanted to grow his army. J.C. Cooper in ‘The Dictionary of Christianity’ said Valentine was ‘a priest of Rome who was imprisoned for succouring persecuted Christians.’

‘Bede’s Martyrology’ compiled in the 8th century tells of Valentine impressing Claudius who then tried to convert him to Roman paganism and polytheism to save his life. He didn’t just refuse but instead ministered to the emperor, which got him executed. However it’s been said that before his execution, he performed a miracle by healing Julia, a blind daughter of his gaoler Asterius. 

The story goes that Asterius’ household of forty-four including Julia were all baptised thereafter. Writer Henry Ansgar Kelly in ‘The Golden Legend’ added centuries later that he wrote the first ‘valentine’ card and addressed it to Julia, signing off as ‘Your Valentine.’ English historian John Foxe wrote that she even planted a pink-blossomed almond tree near his grave as a symbol of abiding love and friendship.

It’s not difficult to understand that we know little to nothing about the real Valentine when history reveals that multiple martyrs shared the same name and died on the same day albeit in different years and different parts of the empire. 

But here’s an event that, though forever recognised as a ‘significant’ cultural and commercial celebration of friendship, love and romance throughout the world, Valentine’s Day first found favour as a feast day (Feast of St Valentine) in Anglican Communion as well as the Lutheran Church and some parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. 

And even though we’ll never know which of the many Valentines it is observant of, we remember him as one who was martyred for his faith in Christ.