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Saint
Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day
is on February 14. It is the traditional day on which lovers express
their love for each other; sending Valentine's cards or candy. It is
very common to present flowers on Valentine's Day. The holiday is named
after two men, both Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became
associated with romantic love in the High Middle Ages, when the
tradition of courtly love flourished.
The day
is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in
the form of "valentines." Modern Valentine symbols include the
heart-shaped outline and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th
century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced
greeting cards. The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that
approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide,
making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year
behind Christmas. The association estimates that women purchase
approximately 85 percent of all valentines.
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