ANOTHER Valentine’s Day has been and gone in a flurry of pink and red with all the usual pressures thrown in for good measure. How was it for you?

Actually it is still Valentine’s Day where I am in the space-time continuum, as in it is still Thursday as I write this.

Someone on the radio described it as a “weird day” as I was making breakfast earlier and I could not agree more.

The tradition started as a means of honouring early Christian martyrs, Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni, in the third century.

February 14 was added to the Christian calendar some 200 years later, but it is safe to say this day has been celebrated for a really long time.

So think on those of you who believed it was all made up by greetings card companies to make a quick buck.

There is no original connection between February 14 and romance, although legend has it St Valentine of Rome was a priest who used to perform secret weddings for soldiers who were banned from getting hitched.

It seems it was not until poet Geoffrey Chaucer put pen to paper, or quill to parchment, in the 14th century that any link was made between this date and romance.

The poem made reference to Valentine’s Day being the when “every bird cometh to choose his mate.”

It was written as a tribute to King Richard II of England who had popped the question to Anne of Bohemia. Lovely stuff.

From there it was assumed Chaucer was talking about February 14 when he mentioned the big V day and, to cut a really long story short, that was pretty much that.

Suddenly Clintons was full cards emblazoned with schmaltzy declarations of love and teddies holding squishy hearts with soppy quotes sewn into them.

OK, some other stuff happened between then and now, but essentially Chaucer’s poetry was where it all began.

The tradition of sending messages of love started here in the UK in the late 18th century, so we have no one to blame but ourselves.

By the early 19th century, cards were being made in factories and usually involved real lace and ribbon.

The US picked up on this custom by the mid-19th century and started mass-producing cards as it became more and more popular with Americans too.

Today, sales of Valentine’s cards generate billions of pounds each year in the UK alone.

From where I am sitting though, February 14 is a day that continues to divide the nation.

Today I have seen everything from grossly over-blown displays of smugness all over social media, to snarling posts from those who despise it and everything it represents.

We do celebrate Valentine’s Day in our house, not that I am embarrassed to admit that.

All three of us get cards and a token gift, my six-year-old included.

I could pretend it would not bother me if I did not get anything at all, because I know how much my husband loves me, blah, blah, blah.

But if I am honest I would be miffed to say the least.

I definitely get more excited about Valentine’s Day since becoming a mum too, because it just gives me another excuse to shower our boy with a load more affection, while he still enjoys it.

Yes I know we do not need a specific date to be able to say how we feel about each other.

Believe me, we are sickly sweet when it comes to sharing the love in the safety of our own home, when we are not in a mood with one another of course.

I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing an extra little smile on the faces of those I love, if that is OK with you.

There really is no harm in making sure those you adore know how you feel, especially if you have been a miserable cow lately and they are the ones who have to put up with it.

Speaking in general terms, of course. Ahem.

On the flip side, I can also see just how in your face Valentine’s Day can be if you are not up for it.

I do not remember it bothering me much when I was single, but there are, as always, exceptions to consider.

For example, this is the first February 14 my mum-in-law has spent without her husband since he passed away last summer.

Unprompted, our son made her a card at Beavers last week and we sent it in the post.

She texted me to say how relieved she was to have a card to put where she would normally have stood the one from her husband.

Heartbreaking, but also a poignant reminder of how precious this all is.