Here’s the story. In the third century the Roman Emperor Claudius II, convinced that single guys made better soldiers than married ones, outlawed marriage for young men.  A priest named Valentine broke the law by continuing to join young people in marriage in secret.

Claudius wasn’t cool with this and ordered Valentine to be jailed and later executed.  Legend has it that while Valentine was imprisoned he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine.”

Nobody knows for sure but Valentine’s Day might have been created to honor a lovesick priest turned seditionist turned martyr.  Or, somebody just wanted to sell a lot of heart-shaped antacids with little messages written on them.

Whatever the reason for it, Happy Valentine’s Day.