Today is Valentine's Day, a day to celebrate love, both romatic and platonic. However, the holiday has a rather mysterious beginning.
The origins of the day go back to both ancient Christian and Roman traditions. One legend claims that Valentine was a priest in Rome during the third century when the emperor proclaimed young men were not allowed to marry, because being single made them better soldiers. Valentine continued to marry young couples in secret until he was discovered and beheaded by the emperor.
During the Middle Ages, February 14th was thought to be the beginning of bird mating season.
Valentine's Day is celebrated in the US, UK, Canada, Mexico, France, and Australia. The first mass-produced Valentine's in America began selling in the 1840s. Today, according to Hallmark, an estimated 145 million Valentine's Day cards will be sent, making it second only to Christmas when it comes to card-giving holidays.
