A day for lovers to express their love? Shouldn't that be every day?

it's capitalism. companies make bank off of the sales of this holiday. they make bank off of every holiday.

Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is a holiday observed on February 14 honoring one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine. It was first established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD, and was later deleted from the General Roman Calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI.

The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines").

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

But like Kumo (more or less) said, just like every other holiday it has been bastardized past recognition and the true meaning of what it initially stood for through capital greed.

How are roses a great gift? I guess nothing says 'I love you' than slowly dying reproductive organs.

My Friend's retorts-
Friend 1: Single awareness day
Friend 2: The day I get cable.
Friend 3: Massacre
Friend 4: The most wasted time of the year
Random Freshie/Friend: A day to get laid.
The only guy at lunch table: The only day to get free chocolate.
~
Me: A day to want to go find a ditch and hide there.

>>1 It is a day to express your love not only at all, but more than you normally do. It's a planned excuse day to shove an excess amount of it in their face, much like Christmas ends up being an excuse to get people a whole lot of presents all at once.

Don't question it like it's foolish, it's a damned holiday. Take it as is.

>>4 Realism and romanticism do not mix well. It's like trying to take symbolism at face value, you just don't do that unless you're deliberately trying to make something sound dumb.

It is secular capitalism combined with christian assimilation, covering up a true holiday.

>>8 Sounds good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPrehI3G59M

>>8 THIS. Lol thank god, I absolutely can't stand Valentines day!

>>9 >>11
Thank you~

It's the day that Saint Valentine was beheaded.

>>13
It is the day one of them is remembered, but not the day he was beheaded.

>>14 well my awesome-ass comparative religions teacher, told us so and we got a packet on the story last year, if i could only find it...

>>15 Just because a fucking teacher taught it to you, or you completed a FUCKING PACKET, doesn't mean hes right or speaks the truth.

Here's a grand idea.
If someone is disputing you, GOOGLE THE SHIT and FUCKING THINK FOR YOURSELF.

When the words "religions" and "teacher" are used in the same sentence, you best be GOOGLE searching shit for yourself.

>>17 This.