Saint Valentine’s Day, or simply Valentine’s Day, is celebrated on the 14th of February, almost internationally but primarily in western societies. It is a commemorative Christian feast for some but a secular occasion for others who see it as a day to celebrate affection in all of its forms but primarily romantic love. The day has been named after one or more martyrs of the early Christian era named Valentine or Valentinus who lived sometime in the 3rd century CE and was killed for defying oppressive laws directed either against Christians or young lovers in the Roman Empire. Valentine’s death became symbolic during and after the Christianization of the Roman Empire, and later on, the character developed a correlation with romantic love throughout Europe, and then the idea spread almost internationally.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at https://www.worldhistory.org/Valentine's_Day/.