Valentine’s Day
❤️ The Day the Whole World Talks About Love
Surprisingly, the most romantic holiday on the planet began with rather dark events. In the 3rd century, Roman Emperor Claudius II banned young men from marrying, believing that bachelors made better soldiers. A priest named Valentine considered this unjust and secretly continued to wed couples in love. When this was discovered, he was sentenced to death. According to legend, on the eve of his execution on February 14, he wrote a farewell letter to the jailer's daughter, signing it "from your Valentine" — and so the very first valentine was born. In the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I officially designated February 14 as St. Valentine's Day, but it was Chaucer who truly turned it into a celebration of love in the 14th century — in his poem "The Parliament of Fowls," birds gather on this very day to choose their mates.
Since then, traditions have grown into fascinating details across the globe. In South Africa, girls pin the name of their beloved to their sleeve — literally "wearing their heart on their sleeve." In Finland and Estonia, February 14 is Ystävänpäivä, "Friends' Day," rather than a day for lovers. In Italy, thousands of romantics send letters to Verona addressed to Juliet each year, and volunteers actually respond to them. The famous candy hearts with printed messages were born thanks to Boston pharmacist Oliver Chase, who in 1866 invented a way to print messages on lozenges — though they didn't get their heart shape until 1901. And the signature XOXO — "kisses and hugs" — traces back to the Middle Ages, when oaths were sealed with a cross and a kiss.
In 2026, Valentine's Day is breaking records: according to the U.S. National Retail Federation, Americans will spend $29.1 billion — more than ever before. The average spend is around $200 per person, with men spending nearly twice as much as women. But the biggest shifts are not in the numbers — they're in the philosophy. The concept of a "valentine" has expanded: gifts are now bought for friends, colleagues, children, and even pets. More than a quarter of shoppers (and over half of Gen Z) buy gifts for themselves — self-gifting has become a full-fledged trend. More and more people are choosing experiences over things: a restaurant dinner, concert tickets, or a weekend getaway — especially since Valentine's Day 2026 falls on a Saturday.
Whatever your "valentine" looks like — a romantic evening, a card for a friend, or simply a warm message — February 14 remains the day when the whole world takes a pause to tell someone: "You matter to me." And that doesn't require anything more expensive than sincere words.