St. VALENTINE'S DAY FACT

The fourteenth of February is the day in which love and romance is celebrated around the world. It is the second largest event for sending greetings cards after Christmas and becoming more and popular as a gift giving occasion.

It is celebrated around the world, from the US to Japan, and from Europe to South America.

Saint Valentine himself, like so many saints whose days are celebrated, is shrouded in mystery; he may have been a martyr who, having restored his jailer’s daughter‘s sight and hearing fell in love with her and sent her a note before his execution signed ‘from your Valentine.

Another suggestion is that he was a man who helped to arrange marriages at a time when they were banned for Roman soldiers. Most of the legends about St. Valentine appeared hundreds of years after the events would have occurred and so are unlikely to be true.

What is more likely to be true is that these legends became mixed up with pagan fertility festivals taking place in February and were adopted by the church to remove the paganistic aspects of the celebrations.

The tiny post office in the village of Lover, in Wiltshire has for 100 years recieved 1000's of Valentines cards which it has sent on with a special heart-shaped postmark bearing the name lover. Sadly it was reported in late 2007 that the post office was to be closed.

According to the Flowers & Plants Association, for St. Valentine's Day British people spend around £30 million on flowers and plants, 99% of which is spent on flowers. Well over 9 million red roses are given in the UK.

Here you are some interesting links:

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