VALENTINE’S Day (V-Day) is right around the corner. Many people are already planning how to celebrate this special day. Whether they are having a romantic date at a fancy restaurant or cooking a simple dinner for two at home, a bouquet of flowers should be on the preparation list.

But what is Valentine’s Day really, and why are flowers an integral part of it? Its history is traced back to Rome, where Emperor Claudius III ordered all single men to become soldiers. For that reason, he made marriage for every young man to be illegal. But Valentine, a young priest at that time, did not approve of such injustice; therefore, he continued to officiate at wedding ceremonies in secret.