Although it’s common to hear Valentine’s Day described as a “Hallmark holiday,” usually with some condescension, the celebration of any of a variety of St. Valentines on February 14 dates back to A.D. 496, where the day was first established by Pope Gelasius I. The St. Valentines in question were Christian martyrs, so the holiday had a whole different slant back then—but then I guess it really depends on one’s relationship. Valentine’s Day first became associated with romantic love in the 14th century, thanks to Geoffrey Chaucer and the rise of courtly love. Chaucer’s poem “The Parlement of Foules” (that would be “Fowls”—birds—in modern English; a “Parliament of Fouls” would be the last five minutes of any college basketball game) included the lines:

For this was on seynt Volantynys day Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.

Translated from the Middle English, this would be:

For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day When every bird comes there to choose his mate.

I bring up Valentine’s Day—next Tuesday—because it is a good holiday for printed materials, such as cards or “valentines.” A Valentine’s e-mail or tweet somehow seems decidedly unromantic, but perhaps I’m showing my age. For those who are interested in celebrating in a sustainable way, Treehugger suggests “10 Great Green Gifts for Valentine’s Day.” Seed bombs?