Valentines

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A day celebrated on February 14, dedicated to expressing affection and love through gifts, messages, and gestures
2. A traditional occasion for couples to exchange tokens of love and appreciation
3. An event marked by romantic gestures, often with the exchange of cards, flowers, and candies to symbolize devotion and admiration

Etymology: The plural "valentines" is the form of "valentine," which can mean a sweetheart, a love token, or a card sent on the holiday. The name traces to the Latin "Valentinus," from "valens," meaning strong, healthy, or worthy. Several early Christian martyrs bore the name, and the feast associated with them fell on 14 February. The link to romance is not ancient. Geoffrey Chaucer's poem "Parliament of Fowls" describes birds choosing their mates on St Valentine's day, and English writers came to treat the date as a time for lovers. Handwritten verses and tokens gradually became the card-and-flower exchange the term now describes.