Valentine’s Day

Table of Contents

Introduction & Top Questions References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Why the history of Valentine's Day is so complicated

Watch a researcher explain the biological and psychological processes of how love works

Valentine’s Day

Q: What is Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day is a holiday when lovers express their affection with greetings and gifts. It is also called St. Valentine’s Day. The holiday has expanded to express affection between relatives and friends.

Q: When is Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day is celebrated annually on February 14.

Q: Who is Valentine’s Day named for?

Although there were several Christian martyrs named Valentine , Valentine’s Day may have taken its name from a priest who was martyred about 270 CE by the Roman emperor Claudius II Gothicus . Other accounts hold that it was St. Valentine of Terni , a bishop, for whom the holiday was named, though it is possible that the two saints were actually one person.

Q: Where is Valentine’s Day celebrated?

Valentine’s Day is popular in the United States as well as in Britain , Canada , and Australia , and it is also celebrated in other countries, including Argentina , France , Mexico , and South Korea . In the Philippines , it is the most common wedding anniversary.

Q: How is Valentine’s Day celebrated?

Valentine’s Day is commonly celebrated by exchanging handmade or store-bought “Valentines” ( greeting cards ) or other tokens of affection like chocolates and flowers. In many schools, it has become customary for young students to bring in Valentines to swap with classmates. Traditions of the holiday’s observance can vary with the country. Learn more.

social custom

Also known as: Saint Valentine’s Day, St. Valentine’s Day

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 26, 2024 • Article History

Valentine's Day card

See all media

Category: History & Society

Also called:: St. Valentine’s Day

Related Topics:: floral decoration; candy; Lupercalia; February; valentine

See all related content →

What is Valentine’s Day?

When is Valentine’s Day?

Who is Valentine’s Day named for?

Where is Valentine’s Day celebrated?

How is Valentine’s Day celebrated?

Valentine’s Day, holiday (February 14) when lovers express their affection with greetings and gifts. Given their similarities, it has been suggested that the holiday has origins in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, held in mid-February. The festival, which celebrated the coming of spring, included fertility rites and the pairing off of women with men by lottery. At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I forbid the celebration of Lupercalia and is sometimes attributed with replacing it with St. Valentine’s Day, but the true origin of the holiday is vague at best. Valentine’s Day did not come to be ...(100 of 390 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.