Saint Valentine's Day (commonly called Valentine's Day)
is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection
between intimate companions.
The holiday is named after one or
more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by
Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD.
It is traditionally a day on which lovers
express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering
confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines").
The holiday first became associated with romantic love in
the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when
the tradition of courtly love flourished.
Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline,
doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century,
handwritten valentines have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.
