you are. Parents, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, neighbors, teachers and all sorts of friends at school — they can all be your valentines! Valentine's Day is an annual occasion when we exchange gifts to commemorate these remarkable, loving relationships, every year.

How this Celebration of Love & Affection Started

Valentine's Day is named after an early Christian martyr and dates back to the 5th century. Its celebration evolved out of a mixture of Christian tradition, ancient Roman rituals and the customs of Victorian England. Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine, a common name in Roman Empire. Valentinus, a Presbyter (a priest in the then underground Christian community) was thrown in jail for officiating at Christian weddings. He was imprisoned, but fell in love with the jailor's daughter,who would visit him often. Before his death on February 14th, he wrote her a love letter, which he signed “From your Valentine." However, the celebration of Saint Valentine did not have any romantic connotations until Chaucer's poetry about "Valentines" (Parliament of Foules)in the 14th century (1382 A.D).

Significance of Valentine Gifts

Three big gifts on Valentine's Day are flowers, cards and chocolate. Other common gifts include perfume, stuffed animals, jewellery, books, and gourmet food. The rose is supposed to be the favorite flower of Venus, the Goddess of Love and represents love in all its forms. The tradition of giving valentine cards dates back to 1415 when Charles the Duke of Orleans wrote a poem for his wife while imprisoned in the Tower of London on Valentine's Day. The