St. Valentine's Day "Did you know?"

St. Valentine's Day, known secularly simply as Valentine's Day has quite a storied history. As we celebrate this day of with expressions of love and appreciation for those we care most deeply, here are a few quick "Catholic" facts about St. Valentine's Day for your information and old-fashioned water cooler discussion:

1. The first connection of February 14 to love was the Ancient Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia, celebrated on what came to be known on the Roman calendar as February 13-15.

2.There are at least three St. Valentines martyred for practicing their Christian faith.

3. The St. Valentine commemorated annually on February 14 was a Catholic bishop who was martyred on February 14 in 278 A.D. for continuing to perform marriages after the Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage in an attempt to recruit for the Roman army.

4. The first Feast of St. Valentine was declared in 496 A.D.

5. There is a legend that the first actual Valentine sent was from St. Valentine who signed a note before is execution by with the closing phrase, "From Your Valentine."

Sources: Word on Fire, Town & Country, Catholic Online