Valentine's Day Lore is Full of Myths

Valentine's Day as it is celebrated today is full of hearts, flowers, and romance (and let's not forget candy). But how did it get that way? The origins of our Valentine traditions are pretty murky. The name comes from St. Valentine, who was one, or maybe two, or possibly more Christian leaders from the third century. His feast day is February 14th. But this saint was not associated with love or romance in any sense, except in stories first told long after his death. Is it a holiday descended from the Roman Lupercalia? Maybe, but the evidence is rather thin. Is it a day to celebrate mating habits, since many animals begin growing their young this time of year? Or is it just a "Hallmark holiday" to sell cards and flowers (and let's not forget candy)? It couldn't be, since the first written mention of the holiday comes from the 14th century. 

Maybe the origin of Valentine's Day as we know it comes from a confluence of all those origin stories, melded together by time. Read about Valentine's Day's various origin stories and other myths surrounding the holiday at Mental Floss.