Topics in History: Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s day has long been celebrated but who was Saint Valentine and when did the present day traditions of Valentine’s Day begin? The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine. One of these saints was said to be a priest, who served during the third century in Rome, and performed secret marriages after it was outlawed for young men because it was decided that single men made better soldiers. Another Valentine is said to have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons. Before his death he was said to have sent a “valentine” to his love.

At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day. Written Valentine’s began to appear after 1400. Americans began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. Written and handmade valentines were later joined by printed and mass-produced cards as well as small gifts such as heart-shaped boxes filled with chocolate. In addition to the United States, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. Today nearly 62% of Americans honor this day of love, St. Valentine’s Day.

Historic Newspapers Articles about Valentine’s Day

• St. Valentines Day Aspen Daily Chronicle February 14, 1890
• St. Valentines Day Colorado Transcript February 10, 1897
• Mollie’s Valentine Fort Collins Courier March 18, 1897
• St. Valentine’s Day Castle Rock Journal February 11, 1898
• The Origin of Valentines Colorado Transcript February 28, 1900
• A Last Century Valentine Eagle County Blade February 11, 1904
• His Valentine Wray Rattler February 18, 1910
• Not Observed as in the Old Days Record Journal of Douglas County February 6, 1914
• Valentines of Many Years Ago Colorado Transcript February 11, 1915
• When the Valentine Saint Remembered Fairplay Flume February 11, 1916
• Romances End in Cupids Morgue Colorado Farm and Ranch February 11, 1916
• My Valentine Routt County Republican February 8, 1918
• What a Valentine Achieved Chaffee County Democrat February 8, 1919
• Valentine Verses Range Ledger February 7, 1920
• Old Love Tokens Routt County Sentinel February 11, 1921

This topic in history and the related online primary sources are brought to you by the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection, a free online resource of primary sources.  For this and other topics, please visit the Colorado Historic Newspapers Topics page. For questions about CHNC, contact Leigh Jeremias, ljeremias@colordovirtuallibrary.org