Valentine’s Day is commonly celebrated by exchanging handmade or store-bought “Valentines” (greeting cards) or other tokens of affection like chocolates and flowers. In many schools, it has become customary for young students to bring in Valentines to swap with classmates. Valentine's Day customs—sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"), offering confectionery and presenting flowers—developed in early modern England and spread throughout the English-speaking world in the 19th century. Valentine’s Day is about more than just exchanging Valentine’s Day cards or having fun with romantic trivia (though that’s pretty awesome too!). Celebrated across the United States and around What's the Meaning of Valentine’s Day? Over the centuries, Valentine's Day has been a religious feast day and a secular day of romance. In its earliest incarnation, it was even a ritual celebrating fertility and springtime. What's the real story of Valentine's Day? Discover its dark origins and what it means today with fun ideas and quotes for your own Valentine's Day card. What are the historical origins and meaning of Valentine's Day? Get the facts. Learn how romantic cards and chocolates helped commercialize this day of love. When we think of Valentine's Day, visions of pink hearts, red roses, and one arrow-firing, diaper-clad chubby cherub instantly come to mind. But who is Cupid and how did he become the matchmaker mascot of February 14? Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day? Here’s the real history of Valentine’s Day and the origins of its romantic nature. N owadays, the premise of Valentine’s Day is simple to understand: Feb. 14 is a time to show appreciation for friends, families, significant others and anyone else you might love. Pinpointing Celebrated every February 14, Valentine’s Day has origins rooted in Roman times and the tale of St. Valentine. meaning that the day of the week varies year on year. In 2025, Valentine's Day Valentine’s Day began as Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine. The feast was first established by Pope Gelasius I to honor one or two saints named Valentinus for being martyred on February 14. The word—a blend of Valentine’s Day and gal—was introduced to the world by the chipper and dedicated Leslie Knope, the fictional Deputy Director of the Parks and Recreation Department of the also-fictional city of Pawnee, Indiana, in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation, which ran from 2009 to 2015. What's Galentine's Day? The Valentine’s Day dress code is a tradition where people wear specific colors to symbolize their relationship status and feelings on February 14. While red is the classic color of love, many other colors have significance, allowing people to express their emotions without words. Today is Valentine's Day, or St Valentine's Day. It's celebrated every year on 14 February. You can find out all about the day of love here. There are so many Valentine's Day games, Valentine's Day cocktails, and Valentine's Day desserts that can easily be tweaked to fit your friend festivities. Take a cue from Paige and make a sweet spread that includes chocolate-covered strawberries , cake, and a charcuterie board all on the prettiest ruffled floral platters. Valentine's Day Meaning. After centuries, Valentine's Day is today's times has gone far beyond the meaning of a religious ceremony. The occasion might take different forms from country to country based on cultural diversity. The most common form is the couple's romance. Lovers enjoy spending time together at luxury restaurants or hotels. Where does the name Valentine come from?. The holiday is aptly named after Saint Valentine, but who exactly was he? Valentine is likely based on a combination of two Valentines who were executed on February 14 in different years by Roman Emperor Claudius II in the 3rd century A.C.E., according to NPR. Red roses are a symbol of romantic love on Valentine’s Day. They symbolize true love, romance, passion and desire. In Greek mythology, red roses were one of the symbols of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. But its ancient background may help shed some light on why contemporary Valentine’s Day celebrations are intimately connected with red, white, and pink colors. Red, White, and Pink: The Colors of Valentine’s Day. Most of us have seen these three colors associated with Valentine’s Day for so long that we just take their association for
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