History and traditions of Valentine’s Day

Heather Ainsley ECB Publishing, Inc. February 14 is Valentine's Day, and for many couples and hopeful romantics across the country, that means rushing out to the nearest grocery market and getting the biggest box of chocolates and the brightest bouquet of blooms for the one they love. But this day wasn't always this frilly, balloon-filled day of affection. The origin of Valentine's Day has deep, violent roots, and this has paved the way into a world of modern-day traditions. Valentine's Day is also called Saint Valentine's Day, or sometimes even the Feast of Saint Valentine, and, like many legends that become folk traditions, much of the facts about exactly how it originated are ambiguo