From Chaucer to chocolates: how Valentineās Day gifts have changed over theĀ centuries
Reading time: 5 minutes
We should first turn to Geoffrey Chaucer, the 14th-century poet, civil servant and keen European traveller. Chaucerās poem from the 1380s, The Parliament of Fowls, is held to be the first reference to February 14 as a day about love.
This day was already a feast day of several mysterious early RomanĀ martyred Saint Valentines, but Chaucer described it as a day for people to choose their lovers. He knew that was easier said than done.
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