Saint Valentine's Day (commonly shortened to Valentine's Day)^[1][2][3] is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions.^[1][3] The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in AD 500. 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 day 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.^[4]

(... from Wikipedia on 2010-03-12 16:23:50 )