Who Was Saint Valentine?

Saint Valentine is believed to have been a Christian priest, and possibly a bishop, who lived in Rome during the third century.

There is no single confirmed biography, and historians believe there may have been more than one early Christian martyr named Valentine. The most popular story centres on a priest who lived during the reign of Emperor Claudius II around AD 269.

According to legend, Claudius banned young men from marrying because he believed single men made better soldiers. Valentine disagreed and secretly performed Christian marriage ceremonies for couples. When his actions were discovered, he was arrested and later executed on 14 February.

Another version of the story suggests that while imprisoned, Valentine befriended the jailer’s daughter and wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine” before his execution. Whether true or not, this tale helped shape the romantic association with his name.

Valentine was later recognised as a martyr by the early Church. During the Middle Ages, his feast day became increasingly connected with courtly love, especially in England and France, where people believed birds began pairing in mid February.

Although much of his life is wrapped in legend rather than verified fact, Saint Valentine became a symbol of loyalty, devotion and romantic love. Over centuries, his feast day transformed from a religious commemoration into the global celebration of love we now call Valentine’s Day.

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