According to WeirdFacts.com, “There are different opinions as to who was the original Valentine was, but the most popular theory  dates back to the time of the Roman Empire and the reign of Claudius II, 270 AD. Claudius believed that single men made better soldiers and did not want his men to marry during wartime. Bishop Valentine went against his wishes and performed secret wedding ceremonies. Valentine was jailed and then executed by order of the Emperor on February 14. While in jail, he wrote a love note to the jailor’s daughter signing it, ‘From your Valentine.’

“In any event, in 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honor St. Valentine. Through the centuries, the Christian holiday became a time to exchange love messages and St. Valentine became a patron saint of lovers. In the 1840s, Esther Howland, a native of Massachusetts, is given credit for sending the first Valentine cards. The spirit of love continues as valentines are sent with sentimental verses and children exchange valentine cards at school.

Valentine’s Day Superstitions & Traditions

“There are many other traditions and superstitions associated with romance activities on Valentine’s day including:

• Traditionally, spring begins on St Valentine’s Day (February 14th), the day on which birds chose their mates. In parts of Sussex Valentines Day was called ‘the Birds’ Wedding Day’.

• The first man an unmarried woman saw on 14th February would be her future husband;

• If the names of all a girl’s suitors were written on paper and wrapped in clay and the clay put into water, the piece that rose to the surface first would contain the name of her husband-to-be.

• Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.

• In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week.

• In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favourite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, ‘You unlock my heart!’”

To keep on reading more about Valentine’s Day, including facts like this, click here to be connected to WeirdFacts.com.: “The most fantastic gift of love is the Taj Mahal in India. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan as a memorial to his wife.”