The Origins of Valentine’s Day

Believe it or not, Valentine’s Day arrives on Saturday. And Ash Wednesday arrives the
following week. It makes one wonder where the time is going, that’s for sure. Speaking of time,
I want to take a little of it and share with you the origins of Valentine’s Day. Much of what
follows is apocryphal, to be sure. But many of the details here are factually accurate.
Valentine’s Day came about because of a Christian Bishop named Valentine and the Roman
Emperor Claudius II. In A.D. 270, Claudius outlawed marriage! He thought married men made
poor soldiers, because they did not want to leave their families for battle. The Roman Empire
needed soldiers, so Claudius abolished marriage.
Valentine became part of this story when he invited young lovers to secretly come to him and be
united in the sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Naturally, this incurred the wrath of Claudius. He
invited Valentine to Rome, and tried to convert Valentine to Roman gods. Valentine refused to
renounce Christianity, and even attempted to convert the emperor. (Now that’s what I call a bold
evangelist!) However, this was the end of Claudius’ patience. On February 24, 270, he had
Valentine clubbed, stoned, and then beheaded.
Legend says Valentine himself fell in love while in prison. Allegedly, he fell in love with the
blind daughter of the jailer and healed her through his unwavering faith. He signed his farewell
message to her “From Your Valentine”. The phrase still lives, nearly 1,800 years later! From
this legendary beginning came millions of Valentine’s Day cards. The first known Valentine
dates to 1415 from Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife. It is on display in the British Museum!
Today, Valentines are often signed with “XXX”, symbolizing kisses from the sender; a custom
that goes back to the early Christian era. Back then, writing an “X” meant the same thing as the
mark of the cross, and conveyed the force of a sworn oath. “X” is also the first letter of the
Greek word for Christ: “Xristos”. In times when few could write, their “X” or signature cross
was a legal signature. Contracts and agreements were often finalized by people kissing their
mark after they made it.
In a manner of speaking, Christians have “kissed the cross” for centuries. After all, the cross
reaches out to embrace us, and God chose to make the cross a symbol of God’s love. We should
respond by figuratively “kissing the cross” in return. The cross itself is a form of Valentine
greeting! And I can imagine God saying: “XXX” to you all.