When someone mentions “Valentine’s Day,” you probably think of hearts, cards, candy, and Cupid. But despite the romantic zeal surrounding Valentine’s Day, the history of February 14th is rather dark, replete with spilled blood, martyrs, Saints, and slaughtered animals.

Historians trace the holiday to both ancient Roman and Christian theology.

One popular belief is the legend of Saint Valentine, a martyred priest who defied the emperor in the name of love. The story goes that Emperor Claudius II banned ALL young men from marrying during the third century, wanting to limit distractions for soldiers. Thus, young lovers turned to a priest named Valentine, who secretly married them. When the emperor found out, he ordered Valentine to be arrested and put to death. While Valentine was in prison, he helped heal the jailor’s daughter. And before he was executed, he sent her a letter signed “Your Valentine,” a phrase that’s still used today.

Another myth says Valentine was a martyr who helped liberate Christians from Roman prisons. He also cut out hearts from parchment and sent them to believers, encouraging them to stay strong.

But my personal favorite is the Roman pagan festival of Lupercalia. This festival took place on February 15th and was intended to bring health, fertility, and purity. Lupercalia began with a feast at Lupercal Cave. The Romans believed that the infants Romulus and Remus (the founders of Rome) were cared for in this cave by a she-wolf (lupa is Latin for wolf). The priest would then kill and skin a sacrificial goat or dog. The hide of this animal would be cut into strips and used to smack young women on the back. The Romans believed this ritual brought women fertility. The hides were then placed in the fields to make the crops prosper. Later in the evening, young women placed their names in a vessel or urn. The men would draw a name, and the pair would live together for the rest of the year. This often resulted in marriage between the two, like a really weird version of 90 Day Fiance.

“I think the orgins of Valentine’s Day is very interesting,” says Pim Pungsuchonsunthron. “But I don’t think it’s that dark, just a bit sad.”

But if Lupercalia was on February 15th, then why is Valentine’s Day on the 14th?

During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed that bird mating season started on February 14th. This contributed to the association between love and February (apart from love-at-first-selection by the Romans of course). It was during this time that the first “Valentine’s Day” note was created. This poem was sent by the Duke of Orleans to his wife following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. It is believed that he wrote and sent the poem while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. How he managed to send a letter from the tower no one knows.

Nevertheless, this started the trend of Valentine’s Day cards. This tradition was commercialized in the 1840s by Esther A. Howland, who created and oversaw the New England Valentine Company. The result was the white lace and shadow box designs we all know and love.

That being said, the heavy commercialization of Valentine’s Day often raises eyebrows, especially given the holiday’s history.

“Bird mating season relating to the day is nice and all,” remarks Mioka Young, “but why pick one specific day to show love to your significant other when you can do that either way?”