Celebrating Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, on 14 February is a time when you send your lovers tokens of affection, but few people know the true story behind the day's origin.

One of the most popular festivals of love, 14 February is Valentine's Day. This is traditionally celebrated by exchanging love tokens with your beloved or by sending cards to people you secretly admire. Valentine's Day has become associated with such fun that it is easy to forget it is rooted in ritual, which goes back hundreds of years.

The original romantic, St Valentine, was a Christian priest living near Rome in the late 3rd century, during the time of Emperor Claudius II. Claudius barred young soldiers in his army from marrying as this made them more reluctant to leave for long military campaigns, but Bishop Valentine often performed marriage ceremonies in secret. When Claudius hear of this 'friend of lovers', he had him arrested. Valentine was executed on 14 February, 269 AD, a date that has since become linked with love and romance across the world, a day ruled by affairs of the heart.

The tradition of sending love messages on Valentine's Day goes right back to Bishop Valentine himself.

Valentine became involved with the daughter of his jailer, Asterius, while awaiting execution in prison. The girl was blind and, through the strength of his faith, Valentine miraculously restored her sight.

It is said that Valentine fell in love with his jailer's daughter and, just before his execution, he asked for a pen and paper. He wrote her a farewell message, signing it "From Your Valentine".

Soon after, young Romans started offering women that they admired, handwritten greetings of affection.

Charles, Duke of Orleans, sent the first Valentine card in 1415 AD. The gesture swiftly spread throughout the Christian world.

The symbol you use or receive on your Valentine's card may have hidden meanings that have been linked with romance for thousands of years.

The heart as a symbol of love has ancient roots. This organ was believed to be the seat of all emotion, so to give your heart to someone is to give them all your love.