Where are the Candy hearts?! Chocolate? Roses?

Valentine's Day, also known as Saint Valentine's Day, is a holiday celebrated on February 14th each year. It is a day dedicated to expressing love and affection to our loved ones, friends, and family members. The origins of Valentine's Day can be traced back to ancient Rome, where it was celebrated as a pagan fertility festival.

During the festival, young men would draw names of young women from a box, and they would then be paired for the duration of the festival, and sometimes even longer. The festival was then converted into a Christian holiday in the 5th century by Pope Gelasius, who named it Saint Valentine's Day, in honor of Saint Valentine, a Christian martyr.

There are many different legends surrounding the life and death of Saint Valentine, but the most commonly accepted one is that he was a Roman priest during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. The emperor had banned marriage because he believed that it made men less effective soldiers, and Valentine defied the emperor's orders and continued to perform marriage ceremonies in secret.

When Valentine's actions were discovered, he was imprisoned and sentenced to death. While in prison, he fell in love with the jailer's daughter, and before his execution, he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine." This letter is believed to be the first Valentine's Day card.

Valentine's Day was then celebrated as a Christian holiday in Europe, and it was associated with love and romance. In the Middle Ages, it became a popular day for courtly love, and people began to exchange gifts and love notes.

The modern-day celebration of Valentine's Day can be traced back to the 18th century in England, where it became popular to exchange handwritten love notes and gifts. The holiday then spread to the United States in the 19th century, where it became even more popular, and the practice of exchanging gifts and cards became a major part of the celebration.

Today, Valentine's Day is celebrated all over the world, and it is a day dedicated to expressing love and affection to our loved ones. It is a day to celebrate the love that we have in our lives and to show appreciation for the people who make our lives better. Whether it's through gifts, cards, or simply spending time together, Valentine's Day is a wonderful reminder of the power of love and the importance of expressing it.