Valentine’s Day is fast approaching but amid all the special menus and last-minute gifts, has the true spirit of the festival been lost? Taking it’s name from the Christian martyr Saint Valentine, the annual festival was not associated with romantic love until the Middle Ages.

But now, many people complain about the commercialisation of Valentine’s Day, which has become synonymous with a tide of advertising from chocolate manufacturers, jewellery companies and restaurants.

Do you like Valentine’s Day or choose to ignore it? Vote in our poll and let us know your thoughts by tweeting @IlfordRecorder.