HISTORY OF VALENTINES DAY

When Emperor Claudius demanded that Christians deny their consciences and worship pagan idols, Valentine refused. Valentine was arrested, dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to die.
While awaiting execution, his jailer, Asterius, asked Valentine to pray for his blind daughter. When she miraculously regained her sight, the jailer converted and was baptized, along with many others. Right before his execution, Valentine wrote a note to the jailer's daughter, signing it, "from your Valentine."

Valentine was beaten with clubs and stones, and then beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate on FEBRUARY 14, 269AD.
This eventually developed into the 18th-century English traditions of presenting flowers, offering confectionery and sending Valentine greeting cards.
People often sign Valentine cards with X's and O's. “X" became a common
abbreviation for the name Christ. In Medieval times, the "X" was called the Christ's Cross.

This is the origin of signing a Valentines' card with an "X" to express a pledge before God to be faithful and an "O" to seal the pledge with a kiss of sincerity.

Peter Hammond