Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! There is much more to the holiday than candy and cards. Along with the incredible history behind Valentine’s Day, there are ways to celebrate without a significant other. 

Valentine: The Man Himself

According to the Catholic Church, St. Valentine is the patron saint of lovers, beekeepers and epileptics. 

There is a lot of confusion surrounding the history of St. Valentine and who he was. Historians theorize that there were at least two martyred priests with that name around 270 A.D.

Some say Valentine was persecuted by an emperor in 270 A.D. and killed in Rome. Others say he was the bishop of Terni, Italy and also martyred in Rome. The one thing that most historians hear the most is that he supposedly wrote a letter to the jailer’s daughter, whom he had befriended, signed “from your Valentine.” 

A History of Celebrations

Another reason that the history of St. Valentine has gotten so convoluted with time is because of the famous writer and poet, Geoffrey Chaucer. 

In the poem “Parliament of Fowls,” Chaucer says, “For this was on St. Valentine’s Day, when every bird comes here to choose his mate.” Chaucer’s words inspired many nobles to begin writing poems called “valentines” to their lovers. This began the romantic link to St. Valentine and is also why people began to celebrate romance on February 14th.

Today, we consider Valentine’s Day a day of teddy bears, flowers and chocolates. There are ways for everyone to celebrate the holiday, even without a romantic partner.