Val'entine, SAINT, a saint of the Roman calendar, said to have been martyred in 306 A. D. The custom of choosing valentines on his day (February 14) has been accidentally associated with his name. On the eve of Saint Valentine's day, young people of both sexes used to meet, and each of the men drew from a number of names of the opposite sex. Each gentleman thus got a lady for his valentine, and he became the valentine of a lady, to whom he was bound to be faithful for a year. A similar custom prevailed in the Roman Lupercalia, to which the modern custom has, with probability, been traced. The day is now celebrated by sending anonymously, through the post, sentimental or ludicrous missives, specially prepared for the purpose. This practice is also on the decline.