Valentine’s Day is believed to have originated from St. Valentine, a priest in ancient Rome. There are multiple legends about who he was, but the most popular one states that St. Valentine defied Emperor Claudius II, who had banned marriages for young men, believing that single men made better soldiers. Valentine secretly performed marriages and was later arrested and executed on February 14, around 269 AD. Over time, the Catholic Church honored St. Valentine’s sacrifice, and by the 5th century, Pope Gelasius officially established February 14th as St. Valentine’s Day. The romantic connection likely started during the Middle Ages when poet Geoffrey Chaucer associated the day with love and courtship. ©️Press Council.