I DON’T know about you, but I tend to find Valentine’s Day a tricky subject. It’s one of those topics that seems light and frothy, yet the minute I start thinking too deeply about it, I inevitably find myself tumbling down a rabbit hole of introspection.

While we’re all familiar with its dark origin story (named in honour of a Roman priest and physician martyred around 270 AD) and how it has evolved into a celebration of romance (beginning circa the 14th century), Valentine’s Day in the modern era is a hellmash of expectation clashing with reality.

It’s partly the hype. No sooner has the deluge of “January payday deals” emails ceased, than begins the tsunami of “Valentine’s Day inspiration” missives to clutter up our inboxes.* Around this time last year, I received a memorable marketing message from a well-known high street chain suggesting some Valentine’s Day-themed gift ideas.

For women, these included “lace underwear”, “on-trend accessories” and........

© Herald Scotland