There are many threads on the internet where people share photos of the strangest, most unexpected, touching or cynical Valentine's gifts and cards that they have ever received. Or have ever given to someone. And looking at the photos from these threads, a selection of the best of which Bored Panda brings to your attention today, we're once again convinced of some people's amazing sense of humor.

In fact, most likely, the legend of Saint Valentine is nothing more than a beautiful myth created in the late Middle Ages, under the influence of the then-romanticized attitude to platonic love. At least, today there are two main versions of the origin of this story.

The first is the so-called 'Golden Legend' - a collection of biographies of Christian saints, created around 1260 by the Italian monk Jacopo da Varazze. The 'Golden Legend' was written in much simpler language than the classic church books - and therefore became a real 'bestseller' in the Middle Ages.

The legend that Saint Valentine was a priest of the era of Julius Caesar, who, contrary to Roman law, married legionnaires to their lovers - this is precisely from the 'Golden Legend.' According to another version, Valentine was a noble Roman who, during the period when Christianity was banned, married his servants with their girlfriends.

When they were caught, Valentine, as a nobleman, was promised forgiveness, but the servants were to be executed in public. He then sent the prisoners letters in the form of a heart, symbolizing his love, and volunteered to replace them in the arena. Of course, this is also nothing more than a legend - while beautiful, of course, not confirmed by historians.

However, modern researchers believe that mid-February is still associated with the holiday of love. The so-called Lupercalia - a holiday of fertility, both natural and female, arose in Ancient Rome after the city's population almost died out due to epidemics and numerous female infertility issues.

Accordingly, every year in mid-February, Roman youths ran through the streets of the city with leather whips, and lightly beat all the women they met. It was believed that a woman who had received at least one blow from such a whip was guaranteed from above an easy pregnancy and an equally easy childbirth.

As you can see, there is much less romance here, but more realism. A peculiar version of, well, 50 shades of Rome, if you can call it that.

In any case, whichever version you like - refined romantic or practical and realistic, everyone is probably very pleased to receive their Valentine heart on this day. And if you want to combine the beautiful with the amusing - please use any of the ideas presented here, in this list. Or maybe share your own in the comments below. Who knows, maybe you are no less witty than the authors of these tales?