The Feast of St. Valentine has been celebrated since the Middle Ages, but the day of romance filled with chocolates and flowers is a more recent phenomenon. The martyred St. Valentine became the saint of love, and Pope Gelasius I replaced the pagan fertility festival of Lupercalia with St. Valentine's Day.
People began to share Valentine's Day messages of love in the 1500s, and formal printed Valentine's Day cards appeared in the 1700s. From the 19th century onwards the whole thing snowballed to include proposals, mass marriages, and match-making festivals, and today Valentine's Day is celebrated by everyone from school children to nursing home residents.
Let's take a look at how Valentine's Day has been celebrated in different countries over the past century through these rare vintage photos. Click through the gallery to get started!
Celebrities share their true feelings about Valentine's Day
Time to separate the romantics from the realists!
Valentine's Day is one of the most contentious holidays of the year. Some of us love getting caught up in the romance and go all out with rose petals on the bed, while others use it as an excuse to air their most pessimistic and anti-materialistic opinions. Our favorite celebrities are no exception!
We've got stars who hate it, stars who love it, and stars who are stuck on the fence. Click through this gallery to see which celebs love this holiday, and which ones can't stand it
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