“The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.”

~Victor Hugo

The true origins of Valentine’s Day are lost to history, but many tales surrounding the holiday exist. Some stories attribute the source to the Roman holiday of Lupercalia, others to a martyred priest named Valentine, reported to possess healing powers. He was executed by the emperor Claudius II Gothicus.

Whatever the holiday’s true origins, in modern times, many of us take the day to express our love and appreciation to those closest to our hearts.