Saint Valentine's Day or
Valentine's Day is on February 14. It is the traditional day on which lovers
express their love for each other; sending Valentine's cards, candy, or
donations to charities, often anonymously. It is very common to present flowers
on Valentine's Day. The holiday is named after two men, both Christian martyrs
named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the High Middle
Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the
form of "valentines". Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline
and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes
have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards. The Greeting Card
Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each
year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the
year behind Christmas. The association estimates that women purchase
approximately 85 percent of all valentines.
In the United States, the marketing of Valentine's Day has tagged it as a
"Hallmark holiday".
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