Video: St. Valentine, Martyr for Love

Everyone knows that Valentine's Day is a celebration of love. But where did we get the tradition of exchanging cards to mark the day--and who is the saint who inspired the whole thing, anyway? History has too many answers. The Catholic Encyclopedia alone lists three different St. Valentines--all martyred for their faith. Many sources trace the sending of cards & flowers in mid-February to popular traditions that grew up in the Middle Ages that connected human love rituals to the time of year when birds begin to pair off. The "true" story of Valentine's Day, though, is that, like love itself, no one can really explain it.

We hope this video, based very loosely on one of the legends of St. Valentine, reminds us all of how love is meant to be celebrated.