People have been celebrating St. Valentine’s Day for 18 centuries. Though someone says it’s much longer and the holiday started from Roman holiday Lupercalia what is a festival in honour of Juno Februata, a Goddess of Love.

Everybody used to put all things aside and started having fun. The holiday was full of rites. It was aimed to help people find their couples. Thus after the celebration there were lots of marriages and new families.

That time (year 269 approximately), emperor Claudius II was going to win the world. However there was lack of soldiers in Roman army and it impeded martial plans. Claudius II found the source of all troubles in marriage. Thus he prohibited wedding ceremony. But there were no barriers between loving hearts and Bishop Valentine neglected the tyrant’s prohibition. The ceremonies were held secretly. The emperor found out about that and took the Bishop to prison. Some days before the execution a daughter of one of the warders was brought to him, she had a bad disease. Valentine was her only hope. He treated her with his healing gift but nobody could help him. The execution was pointed to February, the 14th. One day before death Valentine asked warder for paper and ink and wrote a letter to the girl, it was a letter of love and good bye. He was put to death in 270, February, the 14th. The girl opened the letter and read about his love. That was a beginning of the tradition to write love letters on this day.

The burial place of Valentine’s ashes was preserved till nowadays. A church was built there.

In France love letters were named Valentine’s cards and said love poems.

There appeared lots of traditions on this holiday. In medieval England children got dressed as adults and caroled singing love songs. In Wales beloved presented wooden spoons decorated with hearts, keys and locks. They symbolized opening one’s heart.

Probably first Valentine card was sent by duke of Orleans to his wife. It was in 1415, when the duke was prisoned in London. One of the first Valentine cards made that time is now kept in British museum in London.

Then people started making the cards themselves and writing love poems in them to congratulate their beloved.
The inventress of Valentine cards is considered to be Esther Howland. She was an artist and a businesswoman. In 1840 she sent first Valentines and later created her publishing company to produce Valentine cards.

First box of Valentine sweets was made in England in the beginning of the 19th century. In the middle of the 19th century appeared a tradition to cook special cakes and biscuits for St. Valentine’s Day decorated in the appropriate way.

There are different attitudes to this holiday all over the world. In some countries it is prohibited to celebrate. Some people think it’s not necessary to make a special holiday to say "I love you". Others find it a good chance to start new relationships. Somebody probably waits for a miracle and generally it’s a good reason to have fun and relax in a company of the people you love cause this holiday has a really kind and warm atmosphere.