If you are within the United States, pretty much everyone knows that February 14th marks the annual Valentine's Day celebration. Why do we celebrate it? Where did it come from? To answer these questions, I did some research and came up with the following. Valentine's Day was established by Pope Gelasius in 496 AD. It was named after several Saint Valentine Catholic martyrs. The first of the martyrs was Valentine of Rome. He was a priest in Rome martyred around 269 AD and is buried on the Via Flaminia. The second was Valentine of Temi. He was the bishop of Interamna (modern Temi) and was martyred around 197 AD following persecution by the Emperor Aurelian. He is also buried in the Via Flaminia but in a different section from Valentine of Rome. There is also reference to a third saint named Valentine. Not much is known about him. It was said he was martyred in Africa with several others. It is interesting to note that romance was not linked to the day until the 14th century. In 1400, a "High Court of Love" was established in Paris. This link between romance and Valentine's Day would increase as Shakespeare and Chaucer would both write about the day. During the 19th century, paper Valentine's became popular in England. It became the practice to exchange handwritten notes. The practice of exchanging handwritten notes evolved into commercial cards. The celebration did not explode until the second half of the 20th century. In the United States, the practice of exchanging handwritten notes and commercial cards extended into all manner of gifts including roses and chocolates. It was not until the 1980's that the diamond industry began to promote Valentine's Day as a time to give jewelry. How big has Valentine's Day become? In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that 1.3 billion pounds are annualy spent on cards, flowers, chocolates, jewelry, and other gifts. An estimated 25 million cards are sent. In the United States, it is estimated that over 1 billion Valentine cards are handed out. In 2010, there were an estimated 15 million e-cards sent. In 1969, one last interesting tidbit happened that would not deter the celebration of Valentine's Day. Pope Paul VI deleted it from the General Roman Calendar of saints. He stated, "Though the memorial of Saint Valentine is ancient, it is left to particular calendars, since, apart from his name, nothing is known of Saint Valentine except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14." Let us know what you think. Feel free to comment on our Facebook page and give your Valentine's Day opinions. See our Valentine's Day merchandise.