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Hate it or love it, Valentine’s Day is hard to ignore. As some of us are faced with greeting card choices, scores of hearts, red flowers and chocolates begin to fill supermarket shelves and marketing for romantic dinners start springing up everywhere. But before February 14 became a billion-dollar celebration, how did Valentine s Day begin and was it always about love?
Here are a few facts about Valentine s Day that you might not know.
The exact origins are uncertain
It is difficult to pinpoint exactly how Valentine’s Day came to be, though it is often attributed to the Romans. The Feast of Saint Valentine was established by the Pope in 496 AD as a way to honour a Roman saint. It was only in the 1500s and 1600s that various traditions in different countries transformed the occasion into one that focused on courtly love and romance. The tradition of offering gifts and flowers dates from 18th century England.