▁the ▁b anning ▁in ▁ 3 9 1 ▁of ▁all ▁non - Christ ian ▁cult s ▁and ▁festiv als , ▁Lu per cal ia ▁was ▁celebrated ▁by ▁the ▁nomin ally ▁Christian ▁popul ace ▁on ▁a ▁regular ▁basis ▁into ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁the ▁em peror ▁An ast as ius . ▁Pope ▁Gel as ius ▁I ▁( 4 9 4 – 9 6 ) ▁claimed ▁that ▁only ▁the ▁" v ile ▁ra b ble " ▁were ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁festival ▁and ▁sought ▁its ▁force ful ▁abol ition ; ▁the ▁Senate ▁protest ed ▁that ▁the ▁Lu per cal ia ▁was ▁essential ▁to ▁Rome ' s ▁safety ▁and ▁well - be ing . ▁This ▁prompt ed ▁Gel as ius ' ▁sc orn ful ▁suggestion ▁that ▁" If ▁you ▁assert ▁that ▁this ▁r ite ▁has ▁sal ut ary ▁force , ▁celebr ate ▁it ▁your selves ▁in ▁the ▁ancest ral ▁fashion ; ▁run ▁n ude ▁your selves ▁that ▁you ▁may ▁properly ▁carry ▁out ▁the ▁mock ery ". ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁contemporary ▁evidence ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁popular ▁not ions ▁that ▁Gel as ius ▁abol ished ▁the ▁Lu per cal ia , ▁or ▁that ▁he , ▁or ▁any ▁other ▁pre late , ▁replaced ▁it ▁with ▁the ▁Fe ast ▁of ▁the ▁Pur ification ▁of ▁the ▁B less ed ▁Virgin ▁Mary . ▁A ▁literary ▁association ▁between ▁Lu per cal ia ▁and ▁the ▁rom antic ▁elements ▁of ▁Saint ▁Valent ine ' s ▁Day ▁dates ▁back ▁to ▁Ch au cer ▁and ▁po etic ▁trad itions ▁of ▁court ly ▁love . ▁ ▁Leg acy ▁