Valentine's Day is a traditional celebration in Anglo-Saxon countries, which has spread to other countries throughout the 20th century, mainly as a day when couples in love express their love and affection for each other. It is celebrated on February 14. In the year 268 AD, Caesar Marcus Aurelius Claudius Augustus ascended to the throne of the Roman Empire. Desperate to strengthen his army, he decreed that all soldiers in the Empire must remain single, convinced that without the frivolous distraction of marriage, many of them would become more efficient soldiers. Defying the orders of the new emperor, Valentine, a Roman doctor who became a priest, began to perform secret marriages among the Christian community. He was soon discovered, arrested, and sentenced to death. On February 14, he was beheaded in front of the Villa Flaminia in Rome by order of the emperor.
