Just when you thought you were in the clear for finding the perfect gift for your loved one this past holiday season, get ready to stress again.  Valentine’s Day is approaching.

When and why exactly did Valentine’s day come about? Well this holiday’s roots originated from the ancient Rome festival of Lupercalia. It was a fertility celebration celebrated annually on February 15th. It eventually was designated as a Christian feast day circa 496, declaring February 14th to be St. Valentine’s Day.

According to one legend, Claudius ll had prohibited marriage for young men, claiming bachelors made better soldiers. Valentine, a Roman priest in the third century, continued to secretly perform marriage ceremonies but eventually was put to death by the Romans. Another legend has it that Valentine, imprisoned by Claudius, fell in love with the daughter of his jailer. Before he was executed, he allegedly sent her a letter signed “from your Valentine.”  Some people believe Valentine’s Day commemorates the anniversay of his death.

It was not until the 14th century that this Christian feast day became definitively associated with love. According to medieval scholar Henry Ansgar Kelly, author of Chaucer and the Cult of Saint Valentine, it was Chaucer who first linked St. Valentine’s Day with romance. In 1831, Chaucer composed a poem in honor of the engagement between England’s Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. Chaucer associated the engagement with a feast day and called it “the mating season of birds.”

Some LBHS students have different ideas about Valentine’s Day. Junior Madison Trujillo said, “Why do we need a day to show each other love?” She also said, “Why should we have that day if most of us don’t have anyone to love.”

Senior Devin Vaca said, “Valentine’s Day is couples or “friends” who buy each other the balloons with hearts and seeing the colors pink, red, and white, attached with cards.” When asked if Valentine’s day should be strictly towards someone your affectionate about he responded with, “I think Valentine’s Day is about someone you’re “affectionate” about, but that doesn’t mean it should strictly be about them. It could be for anyone you love or care about such as a family member(s) or friend(s).”

According the www.history.com, over 150 million Valentine cards are exchanged making this holiday the second most popular card-selling holiday after Christmas.  The oldest known Valentine is from the year 1415 when Charles, Duke of Orleans wrote a poem to his wife while he was imprisoned after he was captured at the Battle of Agincourt.