Valentine Day Gift

What is the origin of Valentine's Day? Is it just a clever marketing ploy? Was there really a "St. Valentine" and if so, who was he?
In general, the truth behind Valentine's Day is hard to pin down, but several strands of Valentine lore have emerged over time, and some of the stories are more reliable than others:

When we think of Valentine's Day, we often think of red roses, candy in heart- shaped boxes, mushy valentines, and winged cherubs flying about shooting starry-eyed lovers with arrows.

But did you know that the origin of Valentine's Day, or Saint Valentine's Day, comes from the life and death of a Christian martyr? According to author Martha Zimmerman, the date traditionally celebrated as St. Valentine's Day finds it origin in the Roman festival of romance called Lupercalia, when the gods Juno and Pan were honored. It was a fertility festival or a lover's holiday looking forward to the return of Spring. In the fifth century, in an attempt to abolish the pagan festival, Pope Gelasius changed Lupercalia and its February 15 date to February 14 and called it Saint Valentine's Day. Even though the names and the date were changed, the emphasis continued to be on love.

The Source of a Tradition
In the third century, there was a holiday called Lupercalia, which involved honoring a pagan god, Lupercus, who kept shepherds and flocks safe from wolves. Part of the feast involved putting young girls' names into a box and boys selecting a name. The girl matched with the boy for the year enjoyed the boy's protection for that year. This tradition was held in February, which is why so many people believe it may have been a root of Valentine's Day.