I blame Chaucer
"For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make."

- or possibly the Victorians

ETA
MWNN warned that there would be no flowers this year. He's such a fibber. I woke up this morning to a bunch of red pink cream roses, a fabulous bookmark card of a narrow boat from Sir Wicked Swein and a box of chocolates for sharing tonight (rose and violent creams. Yum! And nutty ones. Yuck!)