The Oldest Recorded History of Valentine’s Day Celebrations

The earliest recorded celebration of Valentine’s Day as a romantic occasion dates back to 14th-century England. The first known literary reference to the holiday in connection with love appears in Geoffrey Chaucer’s 1382 poem, Parliament of Fowls, where he writes:

"For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate."

Chaucer’s lines suggest that by this time, people believed February 14th was a special day for love and courtship, possibly influenced by the idea that birds began mating in mid-February.

The earliest surviving Valentine’s message comes from 1415, when Charles, Duke of Orléans, wrote a love poem to his wife while imprisoned in the Tower of London. In his note, written in French, he refers to his wife as “my very gentle Valentine.”

By the 15th century, the tradition of exchanging love notes and celebrating romance on February 14th had spread across England and France. The earliest references to Valentine’s Day as a holiday involving the exchange of flowers, gifts, and written messages date from this period.

Though the day was originally a Christian feast honoring St. Valentine, a 3rd-century Roman martyr, there is no historical evidence linking him to romance. The association between Valentine’s Day and love seems to have developed much later, solidified by medieval poets and traditions.