Valentine’s Day Traditions: How the Saint is Celebrated in Italy and Around the World

Chocolates, flowers, cards, but also love letters from God. Here are the Valentine’s Day traditions in Italy and around the world.

There are many Valentine’s Day traditions, in Italy and across the globe. Every year on the 14th of February, we all feel a little more in love, and we dedicate a thought to this Catholic saint, who, both during his life and after his tragic death, became the protector of lovers. In fact, not everyone knows that before becoming the patron saint of lovers, Saint Valentine was a Roman bishop, martyred during the persecution led by Emperor Aurelian on the 14th of February, 273 AD. It is the day of his death that we commemorate by celebrating the feast of lovers.

There’s more to it. Before the Church dedicated the 14th of February to Saint Valentine, the Lupercalia took place during this time of year. These were rituals originally aimed at keeping wolves away from the fields, encouraging crops, and generally celebrating fertility in all its forms and manifestations. In addition to animal sacrifices, whose blood was spread by priests on fields and along roads, these ceremonies, which culminated on the 15th of February, also involved celebrations so wild and licentious that even the Roman emperors suspended them on multiple occasions.

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St. Valentine’s Day

In this department you will find a wide selection of articles and gift ideas.

So, who was Saint Valentine?

Saint Valentine of Terni, also known as Saint Valentine from Terni or Saint Valentine of Interamna, belonged to a patrician family. He became the bishop of Terni at a very young age and dedicated his long life to protecting and aiding persecuted Christians, providing help and assistance to the needy through constant acts of charity and mercy. He was pardoned by Emperor Claudius II, perhaps due to his origins or because he was deeply loved by everyone, but later fell victim to Emperor Aurelian, who had him imprisoned and beheaded. His remains, buried at night by his followers, still rest in Terni today, in the basilica built where his tomb once stood.

According to legend, even during his lifetime, Saint Valentine stood out as a protector of lovers and a supporter of happy unions, even those opposed by others. He officiated the marriage between the pagan legionary Sabinus and the young Christian Serapia, celebrating the first union between people of different religious faiths. It is said that on the 14th of February, young lovers would make pilgrimages to him to seek his blessing, and he also helped young women without dowries to find husbands.

Another legend tells that Valentine himself fell in love with the daughter of his jailer. From this love story supposedly comes the tradition of “Valentines,” the greeting cards exchanged by lovers during this celebration. Saint Valentine is said to have been the first to write a long love letter to his beloved, signing it, “From your Valentine.”

The legends are so numerous and varied that some scholars believe that Saint Valentine was not just one saint but three different men who, over time, merged into a single figure in popular and religious tradition.

Regardless, today Saint Valentine the martyr is known worldwide as the Saint of Love. Pope Gelasius I established the feast on the 14th of February, partly to commemorate the martyrdom of the Saint and partly to erase the disreputable reputation of the Lupercalia, transforming them from occasions of debauchery into a celebration of love.

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Valentine’s Day in Terni

Terni remains deeply devoted to its patron saint, to whom it dedicates numerous festivities each year. Beyond the traditions tied to love and lovers, Valentine’s Day in Terni is also an opportunity for religious reflection and prayer, such as the Novena in preparation for the feast and the “Festa della Promessa” (Promise Day), during which engaged couples intending to marry within the year exchange vows of love in front of the urn containing the Saint’s relics in the basilica of Terni, in the presence of the bishop.

In addition to religious celebrations, there are market stalls, theatrical and musical performances, and gastronomic events where love takes centre stage.

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St. Valentine’s Day

In this department you will find a wide selection of articles and gift ideas to celebrate this special day with your loved one.

Valentine’s Day in the rest of Italy

As for Valentine’s Day traditions in other Italian towns, in Pozzoleone, Veneto, a fair dating back to the 1500s is held on the Sunday before and after the 14th of February. In Bussolengo, the town’s main festival, dedicated to agriculture and farming machinery, takes place during this period and is named after the Saint, featuring a large amusement park, food and wine events, and performances.

In Quero, in the province of Belluno, there is the curious tradition of rolling oranges down the banks of the Tegorzo stream. The oranges are distributed to the faithful during Mass and then thrown down the slopes of the woods.

In San Valentino Torio, in the province of Salerno, there is the sagra of the “purpetta ‘e pastenaca” (carrot meatball), featuring sacred rites, theatrical performances, light shows, and local gastronomy.

In Zoppola (Pordenone), the faithful receive a candle to light during thunderstorms to ward off rain and hail.

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Valentine’s Day around the world

All over the world, Valentine’s Day is celebrated with flowers, cards, and chocolates. In each country, the celebration dedicated to the Saint of Love has generated different traditions linked to the history and culture of the place.

In America, Valentine’s Day is not only a celebration for lovers but for all people who care for each other, including friends and family. In Finland, they celebrate Friend’s Day, which involves everyone.

In South Korea and Japan, it is women who give gifts to boyfriends and husbands, while on the 14th of March, the roles are reversed.

For the past eight years, the Archdiocese of Vienna has organised the initiative “Love Letters from God.” Thousands of letters are distributed by Saint Valentine’s messengers in public and frequented places such as metro stations and hospitals to remind people that God’s love is always with them, especially on this day. There are also “Meeting Places with God” in many Viennese churches, where people can talk, receive blessings, and write a response letter to God.