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  3. Valentine’s Day
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Valentine’s Day - Stories

Each year on February 14, people exchange cards, candy or flowers with their special “valentine.” St. Valentine’s Day is named for a Christian martyr and dates back to the 5th century, but has origins in the Roman holiday Lupercalia.

A bouquet of snowdrops.

7 Unique Valentine’s Day Traditions

Chocolates and roses are common ways to mark Valentine’s Day, but there are other, lesser-known traditions to commemorate the holiday.

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7 Momentous Kisses in History

From Judas to V-J Day to an interracial ‘Star Trek’ encounter, see which kisses left their mark in history.

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Victorian-Era ‘Vinegar’ Valentines Could Be Mean and Hostile

Rather than expressing love and affection, these cards were designed to offend.

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WWII Sweethearts ‘Sexted’ With Bawdy Acronyms

Think acronyms are a product of the digital era? Think again.

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Painting of St. Valentine

Who Was the Real St. Valentine? The Many Myths Behind the Inspiration for Valentine’s Day

There were multiple St. Valentines (including decapitated ones), but it was a medieval poet who first established the holiday’s romantic tradition.

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Vintage illustration of a woman choosing between a group of male suitors, 1946. (Credit: GraphicaArtis/Getty Images)

How Chivalry Died—Again and Again

Who killed it?

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Charles of Orleans, with his third wife Marie of Cleves

History’s Oldest-Known Valentine Was Written in Prison

A French medieval duke wrote the poem to his wife while he was held captive in the Tower of London.

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The Dos and Don’ts of 1940s Dating Etiquette

‘Mental Hygiene Films’ helped guide teens through the tough questions, like how to decide which girl to ask to the carnival and the proper way to end a first date.

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Heart shape.

What Is the Origin of the Heart Symbol?

History offers various explanations from an ancient species of giant fennel to anatomical drawings in medieval texts.

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American First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (1929-1994), in a red dress, stands before a dining room table in the White House during the filming of a CBS News Special program called 'A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy,' Washington, D.C., January 15, 1962.

10 Things You Didn’t Know Happened on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is filled not only with cards, roses and chocolates but plenty of history as well.

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Cupid and other cherubs.

Who Is Cupid?

And how did he become the unofficial mascot of Valentine’s Day?

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History’s Great Romantics

From poets and presidents to kings and courtesans, find out more about 10 of history’s most famous tales of love and loss.

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