Valentine’s Day: The year’s most romantic day...

Valentine’s Day: The year’s most romantic day began in a very unromantic way. The American Book of Days says Valentine’s Day was created in honor of two saints named Valentine--one a Roman priest, the other a bishop--who suffered martyrdom and were buried on a road leading from Rome.

Sugar Rush: Chocolate is among the most popular Valentine’s gifts. “A couple of days before the day, business really gets hot and heavy,” said Shari Mendez, manager at See’s Candies in the Northridge Fashion Center. The store’s most popular item is a fancy velvet heart containing four pounds of assorted chocolates. The price: $70.

Slim Love: Van Nuys hypnotherapist Terry Brussel-Gibbons says most Valentines chocolate is consumed by single folks attempting to fill their emptiness. Her solution is to help clients lose weight through hypnosis, then find them a mate with her match-making service. “I use my good, old-fashioned intuition,” Brussel-Gibbons said.

Animal Romance: Join the “Prime Mate Party” Saturday at the Los Angeles Zoo. The event begins with a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception, followed by a tour and graphic slide show of unusual courtship and breeding behaviors among different animals. Then there’s more food, drinks, music and mingling. The cost is $15 per person or $25 per couple and reservations are required. Information: (213) 666-4650, Ext. 403.