In this segment, Les Sinclair speaks with historian Rick Britton about Today in History: Valentine’s Day, also called Saint Valentine’s Day, celebrated annually on February 14, originated as a Western Christian feast day honoring one or two early saints named Valentinus.

There are numerous martyrdom stories associated with various Valentines, including an account of the imprisonment of a Roman Saint Valentine for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry. According to this tradition, Saint Valentine restored sight to the blind daughter of his judge, and he wrote her a letter signed “Your Valentine” as a farewell before his execution in AD 269. The Feast of Saint Valentine was established by Pope Gelasius I in AD 496 to be celebrated on February 14 in honor of this Saint Valentine of Rome.

The day became associated with romantic love thanks to the writings Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century. In 18th-century England, it grew into an occasion in which couples expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, confectionery, and sending greeting cards. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

Saint Valentine’s Day is not a public holiday in any country, although it is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion and the Lutheran Church.

Also: Rick Britton has a Civil War class entitled “The Civil War Through Different Lenses” starting in April at The Center (formerly the Senior Center) at the new facility located on Belvedere Blvd. north of town. Six different historians, six different topics. The class starts Thursday, April 23, and runs for 5 more Thursdays (4 to 5:30 p.m.): April 30, May 7, 14, 21, and 28. Charge: The Center members – $80; Guests – $90. To sign up, call The Center Travel Office at (434) 974-6538 or go to www.thecentercville.org and press first “Travel,” then “Lectures.”