Talk:Saint Valentine's Day

In the Middle Ages, every day of the year was referred to as Saint so-and-so's Day. This was just a shorthand used to refer to a date. The usage does not imply that anyone commemorated the historical life of a saint on his "saint's day." Almost nothing is known as to who Valentine was or what he might have done in his life. The stories in the article are explanations for the holiday created long after the fact. The holiday is most likely derived from a line in a poem by Chaucer ("For this was on St. Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate"). This poem was published in 1382. Jack B. Oruch did a thorough review of the literature back in 1981, and his article is still considered the best explanation of the holiday's origin. PeterKa 09:04, 14 February 2014 (EST)

Oral traditions are often not corroborated by writings, but the oral tradition about Saint Valentine is substantiated by circumstantial evidence and a lack of any other plausible explanation.--Andy Schlafly 10:53, 14 February 2014 (EST)