I've always felt ambivalent about Valentine's Day. It's so obviously commercial—Buy candy! Buy flowers! I don't want my loved ones to feel they have to comply with a Hallmark holiday. At the same time I enjoy getting chocolate and flowers. And I enjoy giving them, too. So I simply view the date as one more opportunity to express my affection and gratitude to those I love. Brought up on the Catholic legend of St. Valentine, I was curious to know if the martyred saint is still given credit for the origin of the day. I enjoyed reading this alternate version on the NPR website: Dark Origins of Valentine's Day