Over the years, February 14th has been saddled with the reputation of a saccharine, commercial-driven event, complete with bad candy and cheap Teddy bears. But this so-called Hallmark holiday has a much darker origin story than you might expect — one that definitely doesn't belong on a greeting card. read more
Of course, that story doesn't completely explain why the day of St. Valentine's death has become a holiday dedicated to love, of all things. For that explanation, we look to the ancient Roman festival Lupercalia, a Pagan holiday that celebrates fertility and the coming of spring which falls on February 15. read more
Father Frank O'Gara of Whitefriars Street Church in Dublin, Ireland, tells the real story of the man behind the holiday -- St. Valentine. "He was a Roman Priest at a time when there was an emperor called Claudias who persecuted the church at that particular time," Father O'Gara explains. read more
Pinpointing the story of its namesake Saint Valentine, however, is more difficult. There are multiple legends of Saint Valentine, and different reliquaries in the Czech Republic, Ireland, Scotland, England and France all claim to have bones attributed to a Saint Valentine. read more