Valentine

Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is an annual holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In theEnglish-speaking countries, it’s the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine’s cards, presenting flowers, oroffering candy, all in the name of St. Valentine. Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid.

There are varying opinions as to the origin of Valentine’s Day. Themost popular version indicates St. Valentine was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for refusing to give up Christianity, who were persecuted（迫害） under the Roman Empire. According to legend, during his imprisonment, Saint Valentine healed the daughter of his jailer, and before his execution, he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell. Other aspects of the story say that Saint Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign ofEmperor Claudius. Claudius then had Valentine jailed for defying him. In 496 AD,Pope Gelasius set aside February 14^th to honor St. Valentine.Gradually, this day became the date for exchanging love messages and St.Valentine became the patron saint of lovers.)

The sending of Valentines became a fashion in early modern England and spread throughout the English-speaking world in the 19th century. Despite the unromantic reputation of the British, on or before this day every year millions of pounds worth of flowers are delivered, tens of millions of chocolates are sold and there is no doubt that the greeting cards manufacturers get benefits from it, so is the diamond industry.

      In the United States, about 190 million Valentine's Day cards are sent each year. In recent decades Valentine's Day has become increasingly commercialized and a popular gift-giving event, with Valentine’s Day themed advertisements encouraging spending on loved ones.