History Logo
ShowsThis Day In HistoryScheduleTopicsStories
  • History Classics
  • Live TV
  • Your Profile
Your Profile
History
  • Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
  • Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
  • Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window)
  • Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window)
  • Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window)
Email Updates
  • Live TV
  • History Classics
  • Shows
  • This Day In History
  • Schedule
  • Topics
  • Stories
  • Videos
  • History Podcasts
  • History Vault
  • Shop
  • History Travel
  1. Home
  2. Topics
  3. Valentine’s Day
  4. Topics

Valentine’s Day - Topics

Each year on February 14, people exchange cards, candy or flowers with their special “valentine.” St. Valentine’s Day is named for a Christian martyr and dates back to the 5th century, but has origins in the Roman holiday Lupercalia.

Sketch of the Lupercalia festival of ancient Rome, undated, by Sir James Thornhill

Lupercalia

Lupercalia and the Legend of Romulus and Remus No one knows the exact origin of Lupercalia, but it has been traced back as far as the 6th century B.C. According to Roman legend, the ancient King Amulius ordered Romulus and Remus—his twin nephews and founders of Rome—to be thrown into the Tiber River to drown […]

Read more
2:32 minTV-PG

History of Valentine’s Day

How did St. Valentine become associated with love and romance? Get the full story behind the holiday.

Watch now
3:06 minTV-G

History of Valentine’s Day

Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th and where do the holiday customs come from?

Watch now
3:46 minTV-14

Hand Made Chocolate

Famous Fat Dave creates an unforgettable box of chocolates for his special someone.

Watch now
3:07 minTV-PG

Valentine’s Day Quotations

From the first mail-posted Valentine on record in 1806 to some of the precursors to today’s Valentines, Nancy Rosin’s 10,000 piece collection is a chronicle of the world’s social history of love.

Watch now
(Original Caption) Trumans Drive to Gettysburg. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: President and Mrs. Truman are shown in their small convertible, the President driving, as they made a pilgrimage to the battlefield at Gettysburg today. (July 6).

Great Romances in History

The Trumans He first saw her in Sunday school when he was six years old and she was just five. “She had golden curls and beautiful blue eyes,” he recalled. They graduated from high school together in 1901, but went their separate ways. He moved to Kansas City and she to Colorado for a year […]

Read more
HISTORY: Valentine's Day

History of Valentine’s Day

The Legend of St. Valentine Where did Valentine’s Day originate from? The history of the holiday—and the story of its patron saint—is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and […]

Read more
A box of Valentine's Day chocolates

Valentine’s Day Facts

Origins to a Bloody Pagan Festival Some trace Valentine’s Day origins to a Christian effort to replace a pagan fertility festival that has been dated as far back as the 6th century B.C. During the festival of Lupercalia, Roman priests would sacrifice goats and dogs and use their blood-soaked hides to slap women on the […]

Read more
Valentine's Day heart-shaped chocolates, an antique card and roses on a satin background.

Valentine’s Day Quotes

Love is among the greatest muses, inspiring the world’s most famous romantics, from Shakespeare, who wrote 154 sonnets dealing with love, time, beauty and mortality, to Chilean poet and diplomat Pablo Neruda. The work of these authors, poets and playwrights speaks to the enduring power of love across the ages of human history. Quotes Above […]

Read more
A+E NetworksOur Family of Brands
  • History Education
  • History Vault
  • Mobile/Apps
  • News
  • Shop
  • Share Your Opinion
Follow History
  • d
  • e
  • p
  • m
  • +
  • Biography
  • Crime and Investigation
  • History en Espanol
  • LRW
  • Military History
  • Ad Choices
  • Advertise With Us
  • Accessibility Support
  • Copyright Policy
  • Corporate Information
  • Employment Opportunities
  • FAQ/Contact Us
  • Privacy Notice
  • Cookie Notice
  • Terms Of Use
  • TV Parental Guidelines
  • Contact Us
  • Copyright Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Ad Choices
  • Accessibility Support

© 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.