It’s renowned for being the ‘most romantic day of the year’.
And many of us use it as an opportunity to show affection for our loved ones with cards, flowers or chocolates.
But why exactly do we celebrate Valentine’s Day and why does it fall on February 14?
Well we’ve trawled through the history books to find out the real reasons so you don’t have to – and the background casts a very different light on the holiday.
How did Valentine’s Day begin?
Valentine’s Day is an old tradition thought to have originated from a Roman Festival known as Lupercalia, according to History.com.
It was held on February 15 as a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture.
During the celebrations boys would draw names of girls from a box and the pair would be partners during the festival.
These matches often led to marriage.
The festival survived the initial rise of Christianity but was outlawed at the end of the 5th century when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St Valentine’s Day.
Chaucer may have actually made it all up
haucer, as in The Canterbury Tales writer, may have actually been behind Valentine’s Day. The medieval English poet took quite a few liberties with history.
He’d drop his poetic characters into real-life historical events leaving readers wondering if that’s what really happened.
There is no actual record of Valentine’s Day before Chaucer’s poem in 1375.
It’s in Parliament of Foules that he links the tradition of courtly love to the St Valentine’s feast day – the tradition didn’t exist until after his poem.
The poem refers to February 14 as the day of birds coming together to find a mate. “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate,” he wrote and maybe invented Valentine’s Day as we now know it.
Who was St. Valentine?
The St Valentine that inspired the holiday may have been more than one man.
The saint officially recognized by the Roman Catholic Church was a real person who died around AD 270.
An account from 1400s describes Valentine as a priest who was beheaded by Emperor Claudius II for helping Christian couples wed.
The emperor had banned marriage as he thought single men made better soldiers.
Valentine felt this was unfair so he celebrated marriages in secret.
When the emperor found out he was thrown in jail and sentenced to death.
He may also have been Bishop of Terni, also martyred by Claudius II on the outskirts of Rome.
There are similarities between the priest’s and bishop’s stories, which leads people to believe they are the same man.
There’s so much confusion around St Valentine that the Church stopped veneration of him in 1969 – though he is still listed as an official saint.
“Valentinus” is from the Latin word for worthy, strong or powerful, and was a popular name between the second and eighth centuries AD meaning there are several martyrs with the same name.
There are actually a dozen Valentines listed and there’s even a Pope Valentine.
The actual day we celebrate is known as St Valentine of Rome to set him apart.
What does he really have to do with love?
Valentine did help marry couples in secret, which is arguably very romantic.
He is the patron saint of beekeepers and epilepsy among other things…Like the plague, fainting and travelling.
That doesn’t stop people calling on his help for those romantically involved. He’s now also patron of engaged couples and happy marriages.
Why is his skull kept in Rome?
Yes, that’s right. St Valentine’s skull is housed and adorned in flowers in Rome. It’s actually on display in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin.
It was found when people were excavating a catacomb near Rome in the early 1800s. The skeletal remains and other relics now associated with St Valentine were dug up. It’s the norm for these to be split and distributed to reliquaries – places that keep relics – around the world. If you wanted to see other parts of the saint, he’s on display in the Czech Republic, Ireland, Scotland, England and France.
Why do we give Valentine’s cards?
Another idea is that when he was sent to prison, he sent a letter to a young girl he had fallen in love with and signed it “From your Valentine”.
Why is always celebrated on February 14?
Some believe that Valentine’s Day’s is celebrated mid-February to mark the anniversary of St Valentine’s death.
It’s thought to have happened in the middle of the month around 270 AD.
Others maintain that the Christian church decided to place St Valentine’s feast day at this time of the year in an effort to ‘Christianise’ the pagan festival of Lupercalia.
Why are roses associated with Valentine’s Day?
Roses have been the symbol of love since the early 1700s when Charles II of Sweden brought the Persian poetical art known as the “language of flowers” to Europe.
Throughout the 18th century, ladies loved their floral dictionaries, which listed the symbolic meanings of different flowers, according to YourTango.com.
The red rose was believed to be the flower favored by Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love, and has therefore come to represent that.
Why cupid?
Cupid is the god of desire, erotic love, affection and attraction. He is the son of Venus, goddess of love, and war god Mars. Cupid in Latin is ‘amor’, which means love.
When did Valentine’s Day become commercial?
It wasn’t until the 18th century that Valentine’s Day took off in England. Lovers began to send trinkets, cards and flowers to their loved ones.
A huge amount of printed cards would get sold, then in 1913 Hallmark Cards in Kansas City began mass producing specific Valentine’s Day cards.
Now about a billion cards are sold every year and it’s the second biggest card sending time of the whole year.
Why do we sign cards anonymously?
Apart from the embarrassment, there was an actual tradition started by the Victorians.
They thought it was bad luck to sign the cards with their actual names.
It was also the Victorians that sent roses as they were Venus’ favourite flower.
Valentine’s Day inspiration
Valentine’s Day has developed a reputation for consumers splashing out on fancy candy, lavish gifts and expensive holidays – but it’s not always the cash that counts.
If nothing else, a card says “I care” without going overboard on all the love-stuff. There are loads of designs to choose from, so just pick one that reminds you of your guy?
Mugs are a great way to say how you feel, and no one can deny they’re useful. Every time your boy has a cup of tea or hot chocolate they’ll think of you!
You know what’s really romantic? Paying attention to what your boyfriend is interested in. So why not surprise him by getting a jersey from his fav sports team.
The best part about getting a video game for your guy is playing it together. Spend some quality time in front of the TV playing a new game!
Why not take your guy out to a movie you can both agree on this Valentine’s (although when you buy the tickets, you get to choose)!
Why not get your man some new music this Valentine’s Day. You’ll probably know exactly what he loves to listen to, but just in case you’re not sure there’s always an iTunes giftcard.
Sweets for your sweetheart are a time-honored tradition on Valentine’s Day, and if you want to make it extra-special you can make a cake, cookies or delicious cupcakes yourself.
Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to splurge and get your boyfriend something he might never get for himself (but that you both can appreciate) like a nice cologne. We recommend Aqua De Gio for Him!
“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”, or so the saying goes. Put the theory to the test and go out on the town or make something special he won’t forget!
If you’ve got a crush, some cute candy might be just the thing to turn your best pal into your gal!
We recommend Sweethearts – each little heart comes with its own special Valentine’s message, like Be Mine and Text Me!
A card is the perfect way to say you remembered this special day without going overboard or spending too much (remember, you want to save some tricks for their birthday and Christmas as well!) If you want to make it extra-special, make the card yourself. A homemade card will be the way to her heart.
If you love your lady, chances are you love her taste in tunes as well, so treat her to a magical day with some new music!
We recommend Taylor Swifts’ new album “Reputation”, or “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars.
Every girl likes to know she’s beautiful, but don’t forget to appreciate her brain as well! If you get your babe a book, she’ll know you love her for more than her looks. We recommend The 5th Wave trilogy by Rick Yancey, a great sci-fi series featuring an strong and independent lead character every girl can relate to. “The Last Star” will be release on May 24th, 2016.
Bubble bath, soaps and scented lotion all show the prettiest girl in your life that you think she deserves to pamper herself.
We recommend The Body Shop’s strawberry body wash, soaps and body butter, it smells delicious!
If you want to give your love a gift that says “chic & luxury”, perfume is the perfect pick. We recommend Miss Dior Cherie by Christian Dior, a timeless and elegant choice.
When your girlfriend goes to sleep at night she’ll dream of you when she gets a Valentine’s teddy bear. Just find the one you think is the cutest!
Chocolates are a tried, tested and true way to show your girl she’s special, and if you’re good she might just let you have one!
Roses are a time-honored Valentine’s tradition. Whether you get the full dozen or just a single stem, roses say “I Love You” like no other flower. Be warned though, lots of places sell out on Valentine’s Day, so make sure you don’t leave it to the last minute!
Following the marriage service, a carriage procession will travel along a route including Castle Hill, High Street, Sheet Street, Kings Road, Albert Road, Long Walk and back to Windsor Castle.
“They hope this short journey will provide an opportunity for more people to come together around Windsor and to enjoy the atmosphere of this special day,” Kensington Palace said.
The couple will return to a reception for guests from the congregation at St George’s Hall.
That evening, Prince Charles will give a private evening reception for the couple and close friends and family.
Prince Harry’s brother, the Duke of Cambridge, usually attends the FA Cup final and presents the trophy as he is president of the Football Association.
Last month, Prince William joked about whether or not he would be best man, saying: “He hasn’t asked me yet. It could be a sensitive issue.”
He said he was “still working” on the wedding and the football date clash. The time of the match has yet to be confirmed.
Later on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting with his military chiefs. He said Israel wanted peace but would defend itself “against any attack against us or any attempt by Iran to establish itself against us in Syria”.
In other developments:
A Turkish helicopter was shot down as the country continued its offensive against Kurdish fighters in northern Syria. Two soldiers on board were killed, the Turkish military says
UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said the past week was one of the bloodiest in Syria since the conflict began in 2011 – with at least 277 civilian deaths reported
For years Israel has been striking at weapons stores and other facilities in Syria with a single goal – to disrupt and, as far as possible, to prevent advanced Iranian missiles being delivered to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Syria has often been the conduit for these shipments, but the changing balance of power there, with the survival of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad bolstered by Iranian help, has introduced a powerful new element – a direct Iranian role in the crisis.
But it is also alleged to be developing missile factories, both there and in Lebanon, to make the supply lines to Hezbollah less vulnerable.
Israel’s campaign to disrupt missile supplies is becoming ever more complex.
And Iran risks becoming a direct actor in this conflict, ever closer to Israel’s own borders 
