Contrary to popular belief, Valentine's Day was not created by the greeting card companies. There actually was a Christian martyr who was executed because he defied an emperor. According to popular legend, Valentine was a priest who refused to abide by an edict that said that young men could not be married if they were in the military. When it was discovered that Valentine was marrying young lovers secretly, Emperor Claudius II had him arrested, thrown in jail, and executed.
Valentine was canonised in the 5th century AD when he became the patron saint of romantic love. Since then, lovers have been exchanging small tokens and gifts on the supposed day of his death, February 14th.
For some reason, the holiday became extremely popular in England in the 19th century. Young lovers would exchange letters, cards and sweets. To this day, Valentines is one of the most popular holidays in the UK. About half of all residents spend money on gifts. The latest estimate is 1.5 billion pounds on cards, chocolates, and flowers in Winchester.
Flowers have been the most popular Valentine's Day gift since the reign of Queen Victoria. Fortunately, sending them is much cheaper and easier these days. While local flower shops are plentiful in cities in the UK, it is often more affordable to simply purchase a bouquet on the internet.
What are the benefits? As we mentioned, online florists are often cheaper and they can deliver a prearranged bouquet in a day or two. The only drawback is that most internet florists have limited inventories, so if you want something special or exotic, you may have to stop at a local flower shop.
