Saint Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day falls on
February 14. It is the traditional day on which lovers express their
love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, often anonymously. The
holiday is named after two men, both Christian martyrs named Saint
Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the High
Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
The day is now 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.
The
holiday is named after two men, both Christian martyrs named Saint
Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the High
Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
