The "Love" statue by Robert Indiana in the City of Brotherly Love -- Philadelphia. Sculpture versions are on display at Sixth Avenue in New York, the Pratt Institue campus in Brooklyn and the Indianapolis Museum of Art among others. This iconic image, first created for a Christmas card for the Museum of Modern Art in 1964, was included on an 8 cent U.S. Postal stamp in 1973, the first of its "love stamps" series.
A couple kiss each other unmindful of the confetti during a pre-valentine celebration Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008, in Taguig City, east of Manila, Philippines, as part of the yearly event called Lovapalooza that started in 2004. The Lovapalooza was entered in the Guinness Book of Records in 2005 with 5,3000 couples kissing each other in one place and at the same time.
How about flowers and jewelry? A Thai woman shows a rose imported from The Netherlands and decorated with 50 carat diamond necklace touted as the world's most expensive Valentine's Rose at a hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008. With the price of gold up more than 55 percent from a year ago, sales of platinum, palladium and stainless steel are up.
Valentine, a Gloucester Old Spot pig who was born on Jan. 29, 2008, with a heart-shaped patch on his side, is pictured Feb. 11, 2008. The piglet, one of a litter of seven, became the center of attention after farm staff spotted his unusual markings.
Some cities have official songs. New York City has an official condom with the catch phrase "get some" on Valentine's Day. People will be handing out the free condoms around the city on Feb. 14, 2008 -- the city's way to prevent HIV and unwanted pregnancies.
Yenid de la Hoz cuts roses to be shipped to the U.S. ahead of Valentine's Day, the biggest holiday of the year for fresh-cut flower sales at the La Mana Flower company in Tocancipa, north of Bogota, Feb. 8, 2008. According to statistics from the Society of American Florists, more than 80 percent of the roses Americans buy for their Valentines come from outside the United States, mainly Colombia and Ecuador.
Lots of kisses! According to Hershey's, it takes approximately 95 Hershey's Kisses to equal one pound of chocolate. In 2006, the per capita consumption of candy by Americans was 26 pounds! Valentine's Day is the fourth biggest holiday of the year for confectionery purchases after Halloween, Easter and Christmas.
Bittersweet Candies, from Despair, Inc., display the cynical side of Valentine's Day. While some might look forward to a romantic celebration or secretly wish for a tender nip from Cupid's arrow, many cynical couples and singles alike think the Feb. 14 holiday is just a bunch of heart-shaped hogwash.
Actress Ali Larter, of the NBC's "Heroes," holds a piece of chocolate during her appearance at the 2008 Godiva Decadence Suite, in New York, Jan. 29, 2008. The winner of the company's Valentine's Day promotion will get to stay in hotel room made of chocolate. Chocolate has been believed throughout history to bring smiles to the broken-hearted and to prompt amorous feelings in both men and women.
A staff member looks at a Victorian Valentines' card at an auction house in London, Monday, Feb. 4, 2008. The card, part of a set of eight, was to be auctioned on Feb. 12, 2008, and was estimated to sell for $158 to $237. According to Hallmark, Valentine's Day the second-largest holiday for giving greeting cards.
Weddings on Valentine's Day have been a tradition at the Empire State Building since 1994. Since the first couples got hitched, there have been close to 200 weddings in the building.
Handmade chocolates are for sale for Valentine's Day at the Thomas Sweet Chocolate shop in Princeton, N.J., Feb. 11, 2008. Chocolate reigns supreme on Valentine's Day; however, regulators are investigating price fixing among candy makers in at least three different countries. A Canadian investigation sparked several American lawsuits accusing the world's biggest chocolate companies of violating antitrust laws.
WaMu delivered a special message to Seattleites in the form of a 293-foot Valentine that spells out LOVE. WaMu Center employees strategically closed window blinds to create the image.
Two flamingos spar on Friday, Feb. 8, 2008 at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. The American flamingos begin their elaborate courtship displays around Valentine's Day each year.
You can call it puppy love. According to the National Federation of Retailers, it's estimated consumers will spend $367 million on their pets this Valentine's Day.