Who was Saint Valentine? Not many of us know, even those of us who were raised Catholic.
She is best known for refusing to worship a pagan idol. Instead, she destroyed the idol and was burned to death in 309 a.d.
Saint Valentine’s Day keys were given in a bid to open the loved one’s heart, though no statistics were kept to see how effective the keys were.
The day first became associated with romantic love within the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards, (known as "valentines").
Valentine's Day symbols used today include a heart shaped drawing of doves, the figure of the winged dove. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards - somehow removing the charm from the occasion.
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