The origins of our modern Valentine’s Day are obscure. Perhaps Valentine's Day began as a pagan festival or perhaps it was a liturgical feast in celebration of the deaths of martyrs.There were possibly several St. Valentines who died on Feb.14.  An order of Belgian monks spent 300 years collecting evidence for the lives of saints from manuscript archives.  They compiled information about every saint on the liturgical calendar and printed the texts in order of the saints feast day.  February 14 was the feast day for St. Valentine and the volume that included Feb. 14 contains the stories of a handful of “Valentines”. 

At a time when Christians were persecuted or killed by the Roman emporor Gothicus, medieval legends had St. Valentine performing Christian marriage rituals and other romantic links.

The romantic elements came about centuries later.  February is regarded as the “beginning of Spring” - birds mate and early Spring flowers bloom.  At some point English and Europeans began to use Feb 14 to send notes and verses to a loved one.  Since at least the 19th century,  candy makers and card companies have joined the celebration, marketing their products for your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day.