Valentine's Day is here

After a weeklong celebration of Valentine’s Week, Valentine’s Day—celebrated and renowned as a day dedicated to expressing love and affection—is here.

This day is dedicated to honouring and expressing romantic or platonic love and is celebrated every year on February 14.

As one of the most widely celebrated holidays globally, Valentine’s Day offers a special occasion for couples to celebrate their relationship and for friends and family to show appreciation for one another.

Valentine’s Day has a long history, traceable to ancient Rome; originally focused on the festival of Lupercalia, a pre-Christian festival in mid-February, the day had a fertility and springtime association.

As Christianity spread, the festival merged with the feast of Saint Valentine, a Christian martyr who was famous for deeds of love and kindness, one of which was marrying couples secretly in an age when such was forbidden.

During the Middle Ages, Valentine’s Day was associated with romantic acts and courtly love, a trend that continued to spread via poetry and literature.

In today’s modern world, the day has become increasingly a global celebration of love and affection and is marked by the exchange of cards, flowers, and gifts, showing the continued popularity of showing love and appreciation.