A Brief History of Valentine’s Day—and How It Became Romantic

I hope I’m not breaking any hearts when I tell you the popular legends you’ve heard about Valentine’s Day are precisely that—legends. The real history of Valentine’s Day, short version, is this: The original holiday was a Christian feast day in honor of a saint. Kathrin Ziegler // Getty Images A Valentine’s Day in Rome—a far cry from the ancient festival of LupercaliaHere’s what we know. By the early 1910s, an American company that would one day become Hallmark began distributing its more official “Valentine’s Day cards.” The rest, as they say, is history. It’s unclear exactly when Cupid was brought into the Valentine’s Day story, but it’s certainly clear why.