February 14th is now marked by dinners, gifts, and social media posts—practices that update a tradition with over fifteen centuries of history. Every February 14th, Saint Valentine's Day is celebrated, a date that, over the centuries, has combined religious tradition, medieval tales, and today, public displays of affection ranging from gifts to social media messages. Among the dinners, chocolates, and roses, little room is left to remember that it is a Catholic commemoration of the good works performed by Saint Valentine of Rome, related to the universal concept of love and affection. As reported by the Noticias Argentencia Agency (NA) and as indicated on the official Vatican website, it commemorates the Italian citizen and bishop who would have been born around the year 197 AD and is remembered for his charitable work as well as being an admirer of flowers that he gave to engaged couples. Although there are some debates about the exact day, on the same date, the man understood as a priest and martyr would have been killed. After performing several significant healings, he was beheaded by order of Emperor Claudius II because he would not have wanted to renounce Christianity. The celebration first arose in the year 494, at the hands of Pope Gelasius I, and with the advance of the Middle Ages, the cult of the saint spread in monasteries in France and England where it began to be linked to the idea of romantic love. One of the cultural milestones that strengthened that association was a writing by the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who alluded to February 14th as the day when birds chose their mates, thus reinforcing the symbolism between the date and being in love. Over the centuries, the date stopped being limited to the liturgical calendar and extended to different countries as a celebration linked to love and the couple.
