Valentine's Day is believed to have originated from the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, which was celebrated in mid-February. During this festival, young men would draw names of women from a box and they would be paired together for the duration of the festival, often leading to marriage. The holiday was later Christianized and named after St. Valentine, a Roman priest who secretly performed marriages for soldiers who were forbidden to marry by the Emperor Claudius II. St. Valentine was martyred on February 14th, and it is believed that this is why we celebrate Valentine's Day on this date. Today, Valentine's Day is a day to show love and appreciation for others, typically through the exchange of cards, gifts, and flowers.
