Most scholars say this love-focused day leapt gleefully from the Roman holiday Lupercalia, a festival celebrated more than 2,000 years ago to mark the beginning of spring.

After Christianity came to Rome, the Church decided to use this day to honor a priest instead.

They renamed the holiday St. Valentine's Day, and scooted the date back to February 14. February 14 was then celebrated in anticipation of the love rites of spring.

According to tradition doves coupled and owls paired on that day.

Emperor Claudius was said to have imprisoned St. Valentine in 269 for his Christian faith.

Valentine fell in love with his jailer's blind daughter and wrote her a sonnet in ink that he squeezed from violets.

The legend says that the words enabled the blind woman to see again, but her father was unmoved and the following day, he clubbed Valentine to death.

From Amazon.com

The Story of Valentine's Day, artfully illustrated by Susan Estelle Kwas, paints the history of this age-old occasion in a style and presentation that's as straight as a Cupid's arrow. Kids will learn about the mysterious character Valentine, how the tradition of the day spread to other countries, and when the very first valentine was written. If inspired, they can make their own old-fashioned valentines and sugar cookies with the instructions in the back! (Ages 8 and older) by Clyde Robert Bulla