Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is celebrated in the memory of Saint Valentine, the Christian martyr who gave his life in the honor of love. King Claudius decapitated Saint Valentine in 269 A.D. for performing illegal marriages of Roman soldiers, who were apparently barred from marrying. Almost two centuries later, in 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius resolved to honor this sacrifice by observing February 14 as a feast day, without little thought or idea on the kind of consequence it would have on the entire world 1,500 years later. Today, Saint Valentine has come to be regarded as the patron of love, and Valentine's Day, the ultimate jubilation for lovers. Valentine's Day, the festival of love, is celebrated across the globe. Flowers, cards, gifts and celebrations are integral parts of this special occasion. Although the celebrations are more or less the same everywhere, some countries have exclusive V-day traditions unique to them. And, U.K is no exception! In Britain, this wonderful day is not only celebrated by youngsters and lovers, but also by the kids. Children sing special songs and are generously rewarded for this. This is also a day to savor special Valentine buns baked with caraway seeds, plums or raisins. Read on to discover more about Valentine's Day tradition in Britain.

Although cards, flowers and chocolates make an indispensable part of V-day celebrations, the British like to celebrate this day in their own unique way. It's a V-day tradition in Britain to pen quixotic verses, lyrics and sonnets as a tribute to the icon of love, Saint Valentine. On this day, all the wild-eyed lovers come together and scribble poetic lines to commemorate the occasion.

Songs are the fun part of all celebrations and a day as special as Valentine's Day is no different. On this day, the English people, especially the kids dole out their favorite romantic tracks or love ballads and are generously rewarded with candies, toys and truffles, in return.

On V-day, the young girls wake up early in the morning, stand near the window, and keep an eye on the people passing by. There is a long-existing belief in Britain that the first man a girl sees on the morning of Valentine's Day is the man meant for her.

There is this legendary belief among the people of U.K. that on 14th of February, i.e. on Valentine's Day, birds come together to find their mates. Thanks to Geoffrey Chaucer, this belief has come to be an indispensable part of Valentine's Day legend today. In certain parts of U.K., Valentine's Day is commemorated as ‘Birds Wedding Day'. It is a custom to eat baked buns topped with caraway seeds, plums and raisins on this day.

In U.K., Valentine's Day marks the end of winter and commencement of spring. Hence, this day is rejoiced with great jubilation. Apart from the customary tradition of penning verses, people exchange cozy moments, cute gifts and cards to bring in the day.