Ten years ago if you had asked someone what Valentine’s meant to them they would probably tell you that it was really no big deal. It might have been important for a florist who has a promotion or a local restaurant that offers roses with its dinner but there was never a big deal about it and never too much money, time and effort that was spent on it.

However, these days Valentine’s Day is such a big thing that you would have to be living on the moon if you didn’t know anything about it. As early as December, you will be surrounded by advertisements, promotions, special offers and gift ideas in newspapers, on TV, on radio, on the Internet - basically everywhere you turn. For some people all this hype is way too much and they prefer to ignore the slightest insinuation that Valentine’s Day is on its way. Others will find it quite depressing that they see or hear so much about it everywhere, considering that they are actually single and find that they will have no one to celebrate it with.