Valentine's Day

About Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day falls on 14 February and is a romantic observance rather than a public holiday, so shops, offices and schools stay open. It is named after one or more early Christian martyrs called Saint Valentine, though the link to romantic love was popularised in the fourteenth century by the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who tied the day to the mating season of birds.

Couples and admirers mark the day by exchanging greeting cards, flowers — red roses above all — and boxes of chocolates, and many book a candlelit dinner at a restaurant. Anonymous notes signed from your Valentine remain a school-age tradition, while jewellery and weekend getaways feature among adults. The commercial scale is enormous, making it one of the busiest days of the year for florists and card makers.