10 Things You Didn't Know About Valentine's Day

There are a few definite, known things about Valentine's Day. We know that it is a day of love, that we are to shower our loved ones in displays of affections, and we are to eat an unhealthy amount of chocolate. Some revel in the glory of love while others curse the holiday to the depths of its existence, devaluing as a "Hallmark Holiday" constructed to simple push the sales of candy and cards. No matter how you feel about this holiday and it's implications, the truth is that there is a ton of lore and history behind it.

Click here for the 10 Things You Didn't Know About Valentine's Day (Slideshow)

For instance, did you know that there are actually three saints that Valentine's Day origins stem from? The Catholic church recognizes that there were three saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. In one legend, when Emperor Claudius II mandated that all young soldiers were to refrain from marriage in order to be better soldiers, Bishop Valentine defied him and married couple in secret. He was put to death when the Emperor discovered his secret ceremonies. There is also the rumor that Valentine was imprisoned and fell in love with a jailer's daughter, who visited him during his sentence. Before his death, he sent her a letter that ended in "from your Valentine." Another theory suggests that a Valentine helped Christians escape the harsh conditions of Roman prisons.

Aside from a fascinating history, there are plenty of modern and historical facts worth knowing. Do you know where the first chocolate candy box came from? Or what women used to do so they could dream about their future husbands on Valentine's Day? To learn the answers to these two fun facts and quite a few more, click through our slideshow so you can fall in love with Valentine's Day a little more!

To fall in love with more ideas, visit The Daily Meal's Ultimate Guide to Valentine's Day!

Lauren Gordon is the Entertain and Holidays Editor at The Daily Meal. You can follow her on Twitter @laurengordon88.