Every February we celebrate Valentine’s Day by giving flowers, candy and cards to those we love. We do this in honor of Saint Valentine. You may be wondering, "Who is St. Valentine"?

Legend has it that Valentine was a priest who served in Rome during the third century. There was an Emperor at that time by the name of Claudius II. Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those that were married. With this thought in mind he outlawed marriage for young men in hopes of building a stronger military base. Supposedly, Valentine decided this decree just wasn't fair and chose to marry young couples secretly. When Emperor Claudius II found out about Valentine's actions, he had him put to death.

Another legend has it that Valentine was an imprisoned man who fell in love with his jailor's daughter. Before he was put to death, he sent the world’s first ‘valentine,’writing his beloved a letter, signed 'Your Valentine,' words we still use today on holiday cards.

Perhaps we'll never know the true identity and story behind the man named St. Valentine, but this much is for sure... February has been the month to celebrate love for a long time, dating clear back to the Middle Ages. In fact, Valentine’s Day ranks second only to Christmas in number of greeting cards sent.

Another valentine gentleman you may be wondering about is Cupid (whose name comes from the Latin cupido, meaning "desire"). In Roman mythology Cupid is the son of Venus, goddess of love. His counterpart in Greek mythology is Eros, god of desire and romantic love (aka Erotic feelings). Cupid is often said to be a mischievous boy who goes around wounding both gods and humans with his arrows, causing them to fall in love. Renaissance and Classical paintings and sculptures portray Cupid in the hunky form he was so famous for (before greeting card vendors turned him into the diapered and cherubic little character better known today).
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