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Women purchase eighty five percent of the one billion Valentine cards sent annually around the world, according to the US Greeting Card Association. Whilst that's a bevy of potentially lovelorn females, it is unfortunately unknown how many of their love's labours are lost.

The male of the species should be encouraged to learn that so many fluttering hearts are vying for their attentions, and yet paradoxically, most are still filled with disappointment when another February 14th arrives without so much of a sniff of an endearingly sealed and scented envelope.

If ever there was a statistic which presented such an anomaly it would surely be one revolving around affairs of the heart. It is unlikely that the manufacturers ponder much upon it, but perhaps they do ponder on the origins of an occasion which is second only to Christmas as the worlds' largest card sending event.

So who was St Valentine, or more accurately, who were they? Plural. Prior to the mid-twentieth century the Catholic Church recognised no fewer than eleven, none of whom could categorically make a claim to romantic notions, flirtatious encounters or passionate pursuits. Quite rightly too, after all they were saints! What kind of an example would that be to set?

Most of these were Christian martyrs who had fallen foul of the Roman Empire, but the "Valentines" principally associated with February 14th are the priests Valentine of Terni (AD197) and Valentine of Rome (AD269). It was not until the 14th century that one of them became linked to the romantic celebration eventually known today.

Very likely, although not most certainly, it was Valentine of Rome, who legend states had written a note to a girlfriend (his gaoler's daughter) the night before his execution signing it "from your Valentine".

Such is the limited knowledge and lack of evidence surrounding these early claimants, the Vatican removed February 14th as an official celebration from the Roman Calendar in 1969, citing that speculation and assumption is insufficient to warrant official recognition. However there are still many countries which recognise it as a saintly day at a more local level.

As with almost all popular customs today, they are the result of Victorian influence and reinvention. St Valentine's Day is no exception. It appears that the general practice of sending hand made notes and cards with romantic themes originated in England in the 1840's, although there are some isolated examples in literature of the practice, dating as far back as the middle ages.

Eventually the idea was picked up in the United States thanks to the business women Esther Howland of Massachusetts who started the first mass production of them around 1850.

Nowadays, as well as cards, the 'full monty' consists of flowers, jewellery, chocolates, the theatre, candlelit dinners, even a weekend in Paris.

What was that about women buying most of the cards? As for St Valentine, he's no doubt amongst all that somewhere, but now he's more likely perceived as an archer by the name of Cupid.

Speaking of Cupid, well, that's another story!

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