It’s customary to go on a date with your other half and give special presents on Valentine’s Day. The day was first celebrated in Western Europe in the 13th century, and by 1777 it made its way to the United States. In Russia, this holiday appeared relatively recently, although romance was around long before lovers ever marked this day in their calendars: there are many romantic spots in Moscow where our grandmothers and grandfathers and our mothers and fathers went on dates. Photo: couple in a wintery forest. 1960.