Valentine’s Day is coming up soon!. In the spirit of the day, we take a look at the history of the heart symbol and the rather grizly story behind the real St. Valentine. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine's Day contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. The history of Valentine's Day–and the story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. Most scholars believe that the St. Valentine of the holiday was a priest who attracted the dis-favour of Roman emperor Claudius ll around 270. At this stage, the factual ends and the mythic begins. According to one legend, Claudius II had prohibited marriage for young men, claiming that bachelors made better soldiers. Valentine continued to secretly perform marriage ceremonies but was eventually apprehended by the Romans and put to death. There are many symbols that are attached to Valentine's day and with ...