Valentine’s Day offers people the chance to celebrate their loved ones. Whether it’s a romantic partner, a parent, or a friend, Feb. 14 is the perfect opportunity to surprise those closest to you with flowers, cards, or candy to remind them how important they are.

It’s a popular holiday around the world, but especially in the U.S. According to a 2024 CBS News poll, 68% of Americans in relationships celebrated Valentine’s Day last year. This year, Statista estimates that 56% of Americans planned to observe the holiday.

With roots stretching back to ancient Rome and St. Valentine, Valentine’s Day has a rich, often forgotten history. Read on for the story behind the holiday and why we celebrate it.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day? Here Are Some Images to Send Your Loved Ones

Images include vintage Valentine’s Day cards, a box of chocolates that reads “with love,” an image that says “Happy Heart Day” and more.

What’s the History of Valentine’s Day? It Started Off as a Drunken Festival in Italy

Love and the month of February have gone hand in hand for generations, starting in ancient Rome. Noel Lenski, a Yale professor of classics and history, told CBS News that our inclination to celebrate love in February has been “conditioned by the historical circumstances they live in.”

For a millennium, Romans, beginning in the fifth century, celebrated an early form of Valentine’s Day on February 15. The occasion, called Lupercalia, honored Rome’s founding and the fertility god, Lupercus.

Lupercalia, to put it in modern terms, was wild. It was a debaucherous festival held at Palatine Hill in Italy that included animal sacrifices. Their pelts were used to beat young women who believed it would boost their fertility. Lupercalia lasted until the fifth century C.E., when Pope Gelasius put an end to the scandalous affair. The Catholic Church was becoming a force to be reckoned with in Rome, influencing the city to become more conservative.

How we got from Lupercalia to Valentine’s Day is largely unknown. Some say Valentine’s Day was established to commemorate the anniversary of St. Valentine’s death or burial, which likely happened around A.D. 270. Others believe it was formed to “Christianize” Lupercalia. Lenski told CBS News there’s little evidence proving the latter.

St. Valentine May (or May Not) Have Been Real

For those who were told tales of St. Valentine and his contribution to modern love in school, brace yourselves. Lenski explained to CBS News that the saint is more legend than fact. He says the Valentine’s Day figurehead was likely inspired by several bishops who died for the Christian church during Roman persecution.

One well-known legend associated with Valentine is the story of a bishop who secretly performed marriage ceremonies and was executed by a pagan Roman emperor for it.

Not everyone subscribes to Lenski’s analysis. Father Michael Clark of St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church in Connecticut disputes the claim that there were multiple Valentines. He told CBS News that St. Valentine was a real person. Father Clark added that it was Valentine’s martyrdom for his religion that made him a celebrated figure.

Cupid’s Origin Is Ambiguous

Unlike St. Valentine, Cupid’s existence is rooted in mythology. Cupid—whose name comes from the Latin word Cupido, meaning desire—is a Roman god who may have been connected to Eros, the Greek god of love, the History Channel reported on its website.

Cupid’s origins remain debated. Some believe he was a child of Aphrodite or Venus, while others say he was the offspring of Iris and Zephyrus or Nyx and Erebus.

Greek Archaic poets described Eros as a handsome god who enjoyed toying with the emotions of both mortals and immortals, shooting them with golden arrows to either make them fall head over heels or suddenly feel repulsed by someone. During the Hellenistic period, Cupid started being portrayed as the cheeky Valentine’s Day staple we know today.

The Commercialization of Valentine’s Day Started in the 14th Century

Valentine’s Day as we know it now began taking shape in the 14th century when gift-giving became customary for the holiday. With that shift came a more secular interpretation, as people at the time started viewing February 14 as a day of love, poetry, and material gestures rather than a religious occasion.

“Valentine’s Day is characteristic of the place and time,” Lenski told CBS News. “It says more about the times than it does about St. Valentine.”