EARLIEST KNOWN FACTS
Cupid, in Roman mythology, was the god of love and the son of Venus; in Greek mythology, he is usually identified with the god Eros, the son of Aphrodite. Cupid is probably the most familiar Valentine symbol. He is often depicted as a winged child armed with bows and arrows, so that he may shoot arrows of desire into the bosoms of men and women, causing them to fall deeply in love.

The favourite flower of Venus, Cupid's mother and the goddess of love, was believed to be the rose. The colour red is usually associated with strong emotions, and so the rose has become a symbol of Valentine's Day and young lovers everywhere. The birds favoured by Venus were said to be doves. As do hawks and wolves, doves mate for life. Both parents care for their young, and so doves have become a symbol of loyalty, love, and of course, Valentine's Day.

Ancient Romans honoured the goddess Juno on February 14th. Juno was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia.

This festival was celebrated in honor of Lupercus, the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Pan. Festivities included a matchmaking ritual in which young men drew the names of young women, who either became their dancing partners during the "Rites of Pan," or their partner for the year.

One legend says that the exchanging of presents on Valentine's Day is derived from another Roman ritual taking place on February 15, in which boys drew names of girls in honor of the goddess Februata Juno.

VALENTINES IN THE MIDDLE AGES
During the Middle Ages in England and France, people believed that birds chose their mates each year on February 15 (the second fortnight of the second month of each year). In Geoffrey Chaucer's "Parliament of Foules" the following lines may be found:

The familiar saying "Love is blind" is another quote from Chaucer, this time from "The Merchant's Tale," which is part of the Canterbury Tales.

French and English literature of the 14th and 15th centuries contains many allusions to the practice of writing love letters and sending special lovers' tokens on this day. Charles, duc of Orleans, is said to have sent love poems to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London on February 14, 1415. This may have been the first recorded instance of written valentines.

VALENTINES IN MODERN TIMES
In the Old World, in the 17th century people began the practice of drawing lots, letting fate decide the names of each person's "Valentine." Small gifts and sweets were exchanged, and this became a common procedure for the amorously inclined young men and women of this period. Diarist Samuel Pepys recorded that lovers exchanged mementos like gloves, rings and sweetmeats on St Valentine's Day. In Hamlet, Shakespeare suggested "Sweets to the Sweet."

In the New World, pilgrims sent various sorts of candy on Valentine's Day to their betrothed. These often included marzipan, sweetmeats and sugar plums. Sugar was especially hard to come by, so gifts of this sort were greatly esteemed.

The little "conversation" hearts we buy today have an interesting origin. American colonists made their own candy and then scratched love notes into the surface. Ever popular, these candies would become mechanically produced by the mid 19th century.

By the turn of the 20th century, red candy had come to represent the "passion" of love, and white candy the "purity" of love. It was also at this time that heart-shaped boxes began to be produced to hold the candy.

On St Valentine's Day in 1929, members of Al Capone's gang disguised themselves as policemen and executed seven members of a rival gang led by George Moran. The men were lined up against a garage wall and shot. Capone's gunners were never found guilty of this crime and no charges were brought against them. The "St Valentine's Day Massacre" does not seem to have lessened people's affection for the holiday.

In 1969, the feast of St Valentine was removed from the Roman Church Calendar because the church felt there were too many pagan associations and a lack of honour being paid to the Saints.