How did Valentine's Day start? A look at the holiday's mysterious origins

Valentine's Day, the annual holiday that celebrates romance, is around the corner.

People around the world spend Feb. 14 celebrating romantic relationships and friendship, and many people in the United States exchange cards, candies and gifts.

But what about the holiday's religious, and mysterious, origins? Here's everything to know about how Valentine's Day began.

When is Valentine's Day 2024?

Valentine's Day is observed each year in the U.S. on Feb. 14. This year, it falls on a Wednesday.

What are the origins of Valentine's Day?

According to History.com, Valentine's Day recognizes St. Valentine, but which one is unclear. The Catholic Church recognizes at least three martyred saints named Valentine or Valentinus.

One legend claims Valentine was a priest who fought for the marriage rights of soldiers in third-century Rome. This defied Emperor Claudius II, and led to the priest's death. Another legend says the holiday is named for St. Valentine of Terni, a bishop, who was also sentenced to death under Claudius II.

Others believe Valentine was killed for helping Christians escape Roman prisons. He is thought to have sent the first "valentine" greeting from his jail cell.

The holiday may have been placed in mid-February to commemorate the death of St. Valentine, or as a way for Christian leaders to incorporate Lupercalia, a pagan fertility festival that was celebrated Feb. 15. Lupercalia was later outlawed at the end of the fifth century, when Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 St. Valentine’s Day.

Valentine's Day became a celebration of romance during the Middle Ages, and the earliest known written valentine was a poem penned in 1415.

Who is Cupid?

Cupid, the arrow-shooting cherub associated with Valentine's Day, is rooted in both Roman and Greek mythology. The god of love was known as Cupid in Roman mythology and as Eros in Greece. Eros used golden arrows to incite feelings of love in Greek mythology, according to History.com.

Is Valentine's Day a global holiday?

Valentine's Day is observed in countries around the world, although celebrations vary. According to NBC's "Today" show, Valentine's Day celebrates friendship, not romantic partners, in Finland.

In the Czech Republic, it's celebrated as the Day of Love on May 1. In Germany, couples exchange pig-shaped gifts, a symbol of love and lust.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: When is Valentine's Day? How did it start? What to know