The history of Valentine's day (including the story of its patron saint) is still a mystery up to this generation. As a matter of fact, the Catholic Church recognizes three saint named Valentinus or Valentine, all were martyred.
One legend said that Valentine was a priest who served Rome in the third century. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than men with wives and children, he outlawed marriage for young men. As Valentine realized the injustice of the law, he secretly performed marriages for young lovers. The emperor discovered his actions and Valentine was put to death on February 14, 269 AD.
Other stories say that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons and experienced tortures. According to a legend, prisoner Valentine actually sent the very first "valentine greeting" after he fell in love with a young girl (probably the jailor's daughter who visited him often). Allegedly before his death, he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine" an expression still used at present time.
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