According to the church tradition, Valentine was a priest during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine still decided to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
A story also says that, while in prison, Valentine fell in love with a young girl. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today.
Another legend (my favorite) refers to erotic festivals in ancient Rome that happened to take place during February. Women would dress up as wolves and wait to be whipped by men wearing loin cloths. The Lupercalia (February 15), was a fertility festival until 495 A.D., when a pope put a stop to it. Today in Italy and Greece, young men still chase young women while brandishing whips - made of plastic.
