Valentine’s Day

From Secret Love Letters to Singles Night

Valentine’s Day didn’t start with roses & restaurant bookings. Its roots go back to ancient Rome, where mid-February fertility festivals celebrated love & matchmaking (even a couple’s lottery). Saint Valentine - the priest who allegedly performed secret marriages after they were banned was executed on February 14^th.

Romance + rebellion was born.

By the Middle Ages, poets declared February 14^th the day birds chose their mates & love letters began appearing. The Victorians then added cards, flowers & chocolate - socially acceptable ways to say what you couldn’t say out loud. (Cadbury even invented the heart-shaped chocolate box in 1861. Marketing brilliance.)

Today it’s one of the biggest retail days of the year. But something interesting has shifted.

Valentine’s Day is no longer just for couples.

When it falls on a weekend - especially a Saturday - the social sorting becomes obvious:

Couples book restaurants. Singles go out.

Bars and parties quietly become a self-selecting dating pool. Dating apps even see spikes in sign-ups, swiping & messages around February 14^th, because the day prompts a simple question:

Do I want connection?

Yes, Valentine’s can amplify loneliness. But it also creates permission - to celebrate friendships, go on a date, meet someone new or buy your own flowers.

We’ve moved from anonymous love letters…to Instagram declarations…to singles night out. And honestly, that evolution feels very modern.

Happy Valentine’s Day - whatever it looks like for you.