Happy Valentine’s Day!
While the exact historical origin of Valentine’s Day is unclear, it is known that it derives from Christian and ancient Roman traditions. 
Some might recognize the moniker of ‘Saint Valentine’ but did you know that there are three distinct saints that go by Valentine recognized by the Catholic church? It is unclear which of the three saints is the direct origin of the annual holiday but that hardly matters. The importance of Saint V is that his historical figure is featured in stories that are overall tragic while emphasizing “his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and—most importantly—romantic figure.”(1)
Historical evidence indicates that the Catholic church might have introduced Valentine’s Day to combat the prevalence of the pagan festival, Lupercalia. A fertility festival celebrated on February 15th, Lupercalia was a celebration of the Roman god, Faunus, and the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. Combined with the romantically tragic backstory of figurehead Saint Valentine, the erasure of the Lupercalia created an annual celebration of romance, fertility, dating, and affection.