- Some connect this day with the Lupercalia festival of the pagan culture that involved many primitive fertility rituals including the union of men and women through a lottery system. This festival is said to have been celebrated on February 15.
- Another story is that during the reign of Emperor Claudius II in Rome, young soldiers were not allowed to marry. They were expected to serve in the armed forces. A priest named Valentine helped young men get married secretly. When the emperor found this out, the priest was beheaded. Some believe that the festival is named after this priest who gave up his life trying to support true love.
- There is another story involving a priest named Valentine, again. In this story, the priest is said to have been imprisoned. And during his imprisonment, he wrote a letter to his lover, the jailer’s daughter, with the signature “from your Valentine ”. This is said to be the reason behind the trend of sending handwritten notes to a loved one as his or her “Valentine”.
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