Every Feb. 14, men and women (but mostly men) are expected to
express their affection for their significant other by
“surprising” them with gifts of flowers, candy, jewelry, dining
and greeting cards in the annual love-fest known as Valentine’s
Day. Although the exact roots of Valentine’s Day are unknown,
historians speculate that once upon a time -- we’re talking
third century AD here -- the Roman emperor forbade young
soldiers to wed, believing that single men made better fighters.
However, a rebel bishop named Valentine continued to wed young
couples in secrecy. Eventually he was discovered and put to
death, but not before writing a note to the jailer’s daughter,
which was signed, “From your Valentine.” Whether or not Bishop
Valentine was actually murdered on Feb. 14 remains a mystery,
but that particular day was declared Valentine’s Day some 220
years after the clergyman’s death sentence. Here are a few fun
facts about how Valentine’s Day evolved over the last few
centuries: 1. We eat chocolate on Valenti