Kiss, Kiss

One of the most popular days for getting engaged is February 14th, St. Valentine’s Day. it is a day when lovers express their feelings towards one another with cards and gifts. It has its origin with a Roman festival that was held in February celebrating springtime and fertility.

There are several different accounts, but according to Encyclopedia Britannica, the name was taken from a martyred monk named Valentine who was imprisoned by emperor Claudius II. He was said to have defied the emperor's orders and secretly married couples to keep the men from having to go to war. During his time in jail, Valentine fell in love with his jailer’s daughter, who visited him in prison. Before his end on February 14, 270 AD., Valentine sent a letter to the girl and signed it, “From Your Valentine” — an expression still used today. Around 496 AD, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 a day to honor St. Valentine.

It really started being celebrated as a day of love and romance in the Middle Ages, when the french Duke of Orleans sent his wife a love note on the date. By the 1700s, pretty Valentine cards and messages were commonly sent thru Europe and Great Britain. and became a tradition during the reign of Queen Victoria. Along with cards, red roses became a way to say "I Love You."