Ah, February – the month of romance made manifest by candlelit dinners, exotic get-a-ways and the loving exchanging of cards, flowers and candies. While everyone knows that Valentine’s Day is a day to show our love and appreciation to our true loves, few know the history of this day of romance.

While the geneses of the holiday, its numerous machinations over the centuries, and even just how many martyred Bishop Valentines there actually were is open to debate, most historians believe it can be traced back to ancient Rome when the 14th day of February was a pagan holiday that honored Juno – queen of the Roman gods who oversaw women and marriage. As the tale is told, February15 was the first day of the Festival of Lupercalia when fertility rituals were held. In preparation, on the night before the festival started, it was customary for the names of Roman girls to be written on slips of paper. These were then placed in a container and each boy would draw a name of the girl who he would be coupled with for the entire Lupercalia festival.

During this time, Rome was under the authority of Emperor Claudius II – a cruel, vicious and mentally deranged ruler who oversaw a woefully pathetic army. Believing that young men were not willing to enlist as warriors under his command because they didn’t want to leave their wives, Claudius instituted a law canceling all marriages and banning all engagements.

Claudius’ moratorium on romance didn’t go over well with Romans – especially a bishop by the name of Valentine. He despised Claudius and in blatant defiance of the emperor’s decree continued to perform wedding ceremonies – albeit in secret.

Living in constant fear that he would be caught by Claudius’ soldiers, Valentine continued to perform nuptials until he was finally caught and condemned to death for his violation of the law.

While imprisoned and awaiting his execution, Valentine had many young couples throw notes of gratitude, flowers, and other gifts into the window of his jail cell. Among these young people who admired the bishop for doing what he believed was right was the prison guard’s own daughter. Her father allowed her to visit Valentine in his cell and the two talked, laughed, enjoyed one another’s company, and fell in love.

Finally, the day arrived when Valentine was scheduled to be put to death – February 14, 270 AD. While he was waiting for the soldiers to come and drag him away, he composed a note to the girl telling her that he loved her he very much. He signed it simply: “From Your Valentine.”

After Valentine’s death, the festival of Lupercalia continued for another 226 years until Pope Gelasius did away with the pagan festival citing it to be pagan and immoral. He then chose Valentine as the patron saint of lovers and decreed that he was to be honored at a new festival, St. Valentine’s Day, to be held on the 14th of every February.

Whether that story is completely actuate or not will probably never be determined and is by all means a moot point for today’s florists, confectioners, restaurateurs and inn keepers who only care about the fact that they will benefit from the day by reaping their share of what is conservatively estimated to be over $77.43 million spent on flowers, candies, gifts, romantic dinners and get-a-ways.