Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine’s Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first ‘valentine’ greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor’s daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed ‘From your Valentine,’ an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It’s no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial — which probably occurred around 270 A.D — others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to ‘christianize’ celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification.

The boys then sliced the goat’s hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood and took to the streets, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goathide strips. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day around 498 A.D. The Roman ‘lottery’ system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February — Valentine’s Day — should be a day for romance. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

In Great Britain, Valentine’s Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one’s feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine’s Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.

According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)

Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to the United States, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages (written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400), and the oldest known Valentine card is on display at the British Museum. The first commercial Valentine’s Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in the 1840s by Esther A. Howland. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as “scrap”.

Love is in the air. Few days from now, we would be celebrating the Valentine’s Day. You may find yourself worried how you would celebrate this special day with your loved ones in US, UK, Canada and in India. There are lots of options available on the websites for you to choose from for your loved ones located in different countries.

You see, distance is not a problem to reach them, to make them smile, or to brighten up their day. You can actually show them how much you care and miss them. How you long to see them face to face. Even a simple valentine card can express your deepest feelings as this is the most traditional way of expressing your love and it reminds you of St. Valentine. Some simple lines expressing your love will surely make him/her happy and close to you.

If you really want to please your loved ones, another choice is to send them a valentine day soft toy. A soft toy from you would always remind them of your affection and longing. Let them have something to hug, something to hold on when they are in solitude. On the other hand, sending roses or any other flower bouquet would surely brighten up your Valentine’s Day and bring a smile on their face. The scent and the simple beauty of valentine day bouquets would freshen and rejuvenate your bond. If you are willing to go extravagant then surprise your valentine by serenading flowers or flower combos.

Along with valentine day flowers, how about adding valentine day chocolates? Delicious valentine day chocolates would certainly add more sweetness to this day.  You can also give them a personalized touch to make this day more meaningful. On the other hand, if you want to make them relax with romantic melodies, then you may choose to send them a valentine day music CD. This is something that would be greatly appreciated every time your valentine listens to the music.

Your loved ones for sure, are waiting for your valentine day gifts. Do not let this special day pass away without reminding them of your unconditional love. A valentine day card, valentine day bouquets, or a valentine day soft toys and chocolates – give them any of these to make the Valentine’s Day which is on 14th February 2009, worth remembering.

Valentine’s day is nearing. It is the day when the most unromantic soul will feel the love in the air. Can one imagine, what will happen to the lovers? They literally go mad with love. Thinking of ideas, meeting their love, exchanging gifts, expressing love. All the romantic lovers have already gone in the mood of valentine and are eagerly looking forward to it.

Can one imagine the condition of one who has lost his Valentine? Whose Valentine has left him to some unknown place? Whose Valentine has left him alone to shed tears of loneliness? What thoughts will come in such a lover’s mind. This poem is one such cry from a lover whose valentine has left him.

Valentine’s day is nearing. It is the day when the most unromantic soul will feel the love in the air. Can one imagine, what will happen to the lovers? They literally go mad with love. Thinking of ideas, meeting their love, exchanging gifts, expressing love. All the romantic lovers have already gone in the mood of valentine and are eagerly looking forward to it.

Can one imagine the condition of one who has lost his Valentine? Whose Valentine has left him to some unknown place? Whose Valentine has left him alone to shed tears of loneliness? What thoughts will come in such a lover’s mind. This poem is one such cry from a lover whose valentine has left him.

My Ideas for The Valentine’s Day

What ideas can I think of? This Valentine’s Day? To make you happy. To make you feel more of my love. For I do not know, where are you? What gift can I give you? Chocolates, a jewelry piece, or a cute teddy bear? On the Valentine’s Day. For I do not know, where are you? What can I talk with you? What shall I hear from you? On the Valentine’s Day. For I do not know, where are you? Who shall I tell about my worries? With who do I share my thoughts? With who shall I share my goals? On the Valentine’s Day. For I do not know, where are you? Where have you gone? Why did you go away? Where do I search for you? When will you return to me? My Valentine. Where ever you are. Know this much, that I am mad in love with you. My heart cries for you. My eyes search for you. My soul is empty without you. For I love you. When I shall watch, other lovers. Meeting on The Valentine’s Day. I will cry over my fate. I will cry over your absence. I will cry all alone. For there shall be no one, except God to hear my cries. Honey, I am waiting for you. Please come back. Oh, God, let her read this. Let her know that I am waiting.

Valentine’s Day has been a long tradition for a lot of us. As far as we all know, this special day is when we express our love to someone very dear to us. But what is Valentine’s Day? Valentine’s Day or Saint Valentine’s Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14. In the West, it is the traditional day on which lovers (people in love) express their love for each other by sending Valentine’s cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery.

The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of “valentines.” Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Visit an online gift shop that serves valentine’s Philippines services if ever you wanted an easy way to send gifts to your loved ones this coming Valentine’s Day.

The sending of Valentines was a fashion in nineteenth-century Great Britain, and, in 1847, Esther Howland developed a successful business in her Worcester, Massachusetts home with hand-made Valentine cards based on British models. The popularity of Valentine cards in 19th-century America was a harbinger of the future commercialization of holidays in the United States.

Apart from giving out valentine cards, presenting flowers has also been the widest tradition when Valentine’s Day arrives. Valentine’s Day, which is celebrated on February 14th, is a major festival in the western hemisphere. People express their love for each other by means of gifts, of which flowers play a prominent role. If you want to send some flowers or gifts this coming Valentine’s Day, then visit an online valentine’s Philippines site to learn how.

In fact, it is said that flowers and chocolates are so essential that those gifts would be taken for granted if presented, yet will be noticed if not presented. It is said that the tradition of gifting flowers was originally Persian and it was introduced to the west in the 18th Century

Rose ranks highest among the flowers gifted on Valentine’s day. Red rose, which is commonly associated with passion, and pink rose, commonly associated with appreciation and sympathy, are popular gifts on Valentine’s day. So why red roses?

In an old language called Floriography which is a form of communication in which various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages, allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken. By giving the appropriate flower, one can convey the message one has in mind to the person one is interested in (called one’s Valentine). The choice of the flower depends on both the preferences of the receiver and the feelings the giver wants to convey. For delivery services, visit an online valentine’s Philippines site for an easier access to send flowers back to the Philippines.

To make this day special for your loved one, you need to become a bit careful and observant in the selection of a gift. Well, there are varieties available in the market for men and women both.

We can also get gifts online. There are websites devoted to gifts, together with fun ones. When you see items that you like you may go to an auction site like eBay and see if they have those items at bargain prices, which often times they do.

On this lovely occasion of Valentine’s Day, express your love, care & respect to your dear valentine by sending online gifts to our loved ones with a magnificent range. There are exclusive and wide online collection of Valentine’s day gifts like Romantic Gift Hampers for Him/her, Flowers, Jewelry, Apparel, Chocolates, Cakes and lot more unique gift ideas that would be most suitable for the special occasion of Valentine’s Day.

No gift says “I love you” on Valentine’s Day like a bouquet of roses. Thanks to their beauty and fragrance, red roses have long been a Valentine’s Day symbol. The lovely combination of fresh-looking and fresh-cut red roses accented with white orchids is a perfect way to cherish the Valentine’s Day.

If you know your love is true you can still find a great way to express that in a Valentine’s Day gift. In fact gift giving on Valentine’s Day is such a big industry that there are endless amounts of gifts that are especially made for this lovely day.

There are some ideas for online Valentine’s Day gifts. One, a Kitchy Cornucopia of Valentine Fun, that is, if your Valentine is bored by heart-shaped boxes, look to Fred Flare for funky and vintage-inspired clothing, accessories, and home goods. Other one can be Personalized Sweetheart Lockets. A gift of jewelry is nice, but an engraved piece becomes unusual. Use a pet nickname, a simple monogram, or an old-fashioned and cute JM + ML. Three, Redenvelope is a gift-givers favorite site, as they are teeming with quality presents for everyone. The new twist on an old classic with the leather ID bracelet is a good idea. It features double strands of pink leather and an authentic silver identification plaque.

For guys, the boxer shorts that can be modified with a nickname are great. If you don’t have a pet name for him, something along the lines of ‘World’s Best Lover’ should make most men smile and if your sweetheart is far away, create a personalized online greeting card with your own photo that you upload.

Well, there are also varieties in last minute Valentine’s Day gifts of desperation like stuffed animal, book of love poetry, heart-shaped cake or cupcakes and lots more. Even if your gift is acquired last minute, your thoughtfulness and generosity will be appreciated and the good feelings will last long past Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day, celebrated on February 14, is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate those we love – to reach out to the one we love – to make it a festival of romance and affection. While some people may think, Valentine’s Day is just another commercial holiday for flower and candy shops, Valentine’s Day has deeper roots and does reach in the silent recesses of a human heart.

It all started in the heart of St. Valentine. Valentine lived around 270, in the midst of the bloody persecution of the Christians. He was martyred by Emperor Claudius II in ancient Rome. Saint Valentine died as a Roman martyr priest. The saga has it that the first “Valentine’s Day” gift was actually sent by the Saint himself to the daughter of his jailer, to whom he felt a deep bond of love.

Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. The 14th of February is probably a remnant from a period when a pagan festival occurred around that date. It was a day of joyful celebration, embracing the beginning work in the vineyards and on the fields after the long winter months. Valentine’s Day as a day of celebrating love also stems from the belief that this is the day when birds begin their mating.

The Christian church adapted this tradition and chose February 14 as the day to honor Saint Valentine. Saint Valentine is now considered the patron of lovers and the helper of those unhappily in love.

Valentine’s Day in the middle of the eighteenth century is summed up in this verse printed in Poor Robin’s Almanac in 1757:

“This month bright Phoebus enters Pisces, The maids will have good store of kisses, For always when the fun comes there, Valentine’s Day is drawing near, And both the men and maids incline To chuse them each a Valentine; And if a man gets one he loves, He gives her first a pair of gloves; And, by the way, remember this, To seal the favour with a kiss.”

Although no longer a day of honor for Saint Valentine in the Christian calendar – Valentine was dropped from the liturgical calendar in 1969 – Valentine’s Day still inspires lovers to the present day to give kind acts of love to one another.

There are several ways to show ones love and appreciation on Valentine’s Day:

Valentine’s Day Cards are a popular way to show affection. There are Valentine’s Day cards with wise or witty rhymes, open or supple declaration of love, beautiful flower arrangements or cuddly teddy bears. There is something of every taste.

Valentine’s Day Recipes are often special concoctions made with love and creativity to help celebrate Valentine’s Day. After all, doesn’t love go through the stomach! Aromatic taste, lovely decoration, romantic candle light – all helps together to make for an enchanting Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day Flowers delight every loving heart. Flowers are among the most prominent symbols of love. They make the partner feel appreciated and valued. Valentine’s Day flowers may well be the most important flowers you send all year. Flowers speak to the heart through their beauty, their simple elegance, their uplifting scent and long lasting aroma. When words fail, say it with flowers! Flowers convey your love and care.

A Gift Basket for Valentine’s Day is another special and personal gift idea, filled with things your partner loves: a precious aftershave or perfume; a wellness gift like a relaxing massage; a Candle-Light-Dinner for two in the favorite restaurant; or Mon Cheri in a heart-shaped gift box.

Or give your loved one an extravagant Valentine’s Day gift – maybe a symbolic tree of the rain forest with certificate, or a bottle of balsam fir essential oil to uplift the heart.

There are many ways to help celebrate Valentine’s Day. Any sign of love and care, no matter how big or small, will bring the message of love from one heart to another. Love flows from the lover to the beloved and back again to close a circle, strengthening the bond of friendship, love and marriage. Valentine’s Day is truly a day for sweethearts. It is an old tradition that had its beginning with Saint Valentine’s gift of love. This gift of love keeps on giving throughout the history of mankind for another thousand years to come. Nothing else matters but love.

Valentines Day is indeed a special day to celebrate love. The celebrations are incomplete without valentine flowers. Gifts for someone you love could be just about anything, but on Valentines Day they are complemented with a bunch of valentine flowers.

Valentine flowers are not restricted to one particular kind. You may present roses, lilies, carnations etc… on Valentines Day. Roses are however the most preferred choice of Valentine flowers. They are sturdy, exquisite and a whole bunch of them will make excellent Valentine flowers.

There have been many arguments in the past, as to why roses are the most preferred variety. Well the best loved concept, is that roses are often accompanied with a thorny stem. But while gifting them as Valentine flowers, the stems are devoid of thorns and only the best form of the beautiful roses is gifted. This is a way of conveying that thorns will be held by the giver and the recipient will only receive the best, which is a selfless thought innate only to true love.

Ever wondered why bunch of ‘deep red’ roses are synonymous to Valentine flowers? Well it can be simply explained that deep red denotes the color of blood and heart which is where love resides, pumps blood. It is only apt that deep red signify profound love. Therefore deep red or crimson roses are the most preferred variety of Valentine flowers.

Besides roses, carnations with serrated edges are considered to be a big hit with the feminine populace. Carnations are considered to be sturdy yet intricate in structure and form. Bunch of deep red carnations makes admirable Valentine Flowers. Lilies, orchids, daisies, gerberas and assorted flowers also make appropriate valentines day gifts.

Your preferred choice of Valentine Flowers may be based on the significance of color of the flower. It could be red to denote passion, white for peace and serenity, peach or pink for admiration, yellow for friendship and cheerfulness, Green (leaves and stems) for bounty and blue for harmony. With this information in mind, your Valentine flowers are sure going to convey the message with colors.

As Valentines Day is not too far away, make sure you book for flowers in advance, for the prices may go sky high as the days near. With online shopping portals, sending Valentine flowers to India is made all the more easy. Choose the bouquet of your choice and send Valentine flowers to India the hassle free way.

The elaborate product bouquets and their articulate display, make shopping for Valentine flowers online, a real pleasure. Choose Valentine flowers of your choice and be rest assured that they will get delivered on time at your loved one’s doorstep.

What’s more…? Online marts often have discounts on various products and Valentines Day is indeed special. Find gifts galore and of course a bunch of Valentine flowers for your loved one. Make your valentine; feel truly special with your well thought out posy of Valentine flowers.

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, it’s naturally a time of the year for much speculation and excitement, even if it’s just to ponder the prospect of receiving Valentines Gifts. Those of us who are in a long-term and committed relationship are surely no different; there must be a secret desire to get Valentines Gifts or at least a card!

And providing some old-fashioned traditions are adhered to, for those who don’t really have anyone in their sights, or have any interest in Valentines Gifts – or even those with a few possible suitors, but no final decision on their chosen one – it’s possible to set sights on someone as the big day approaches. Interestingly, the internet is a goldmine for information on related traditions, especially those on the subject of Valentine’s Day!

One such site in the UK notes, that on February 14th, the very first man that an unmarried woman lays eyes upon on the big day will at some point become her partner in marriage. The very same site has noted that, should a woman see certain types of birds flying around on the big day, she will marry different types of men depending upon the bird seen. It would seem that, according to tradition at least, the sight of a robin indicates that a woman will choose a sailor for a husband, and that the sighting of a goldfinch indicates that a woman will eventually choose a wealthy man as her husband. However, should she see a sparrow, although she would marry a poor man, she would at least be happy. After all, even less well off people can give outstandingly beautiful Valentines Gifts.

There is also another tradition where all of the names of a particular girl’s potential partners are written down on a piece of paper and then concealed within pieces of clay. This clay is then placed into water, resulting in a race to see which one rises to the top first, and the theory is that this piece of clay contains the name of the girl’s future husband. It’s not specified whether or not this chosen one will have a knack for picking beautiful Valentines Gifts.

Assuming that you’re not a committed singleton, whether or not you’ve gone to the effort of wrapping the names of men in clay, or have spent time checking out the sky for birds, you’re probably already thinking of the different types of Valentines Gifts you’d like to send a prospective partner; you may even be considering hedging your bets and sending Valentines Gifts to more than one person.

If you’re looking to send Valentines Gifts that really let that special person know how you feel, Valentines Gifts that simply scream “I LOVE YOU!” could be the way forward; and if this is indeed the case, why not go for a delicious set of I Love You Chocolate Hearts? Hand-made using delicious white Belgian chocolate, our I Love You Chocolate hearts feature a red-coloured heart, and are presented in a beautiful gift box. Even with so many beautiful Valentines Gifts to choose from, the I Love You Chocolate Hearts are easily one of the best Valentines Gifts around.

White chocolate is a delicious type of confectionary made from milk solids, sugar and cocoa butter. And, interestingly, even though it easily melts in the mouth, it has no problem remaining in solid form whilst at room temperature. However, those with an interest in baking should be aware of the dangers of working with white chocolate; there is a danger that the cocoa butter can actually split once the chocolate has reached its melting point. However, this problem can be easily rectified – all that’s apparently required is a little butter or chocolate, together with a little whisking. Providing then that it is treated with the correct level of care, white chocolate can be easily used during the preparation of homemade Valentines Gifts.

There is also a possibility that white chocolate could be good for the health. According to some reports, white chocolate is suitable for consumption by individuals who must not consume Theobromine, a compound found in cocoa solids that give other types of chocolate their characteristic dark appearance.

Wherever Valentine’s Day is celebrated – and whether or not people in different countries actually exchange Valentines Day Gifts – it’s an important day for so many people; no matter what their age. February 14th is a day of love where couples spend time together, exchange beautiful and well thought out Valentines Day Gifts, and – for those who are as yet unattached – make the first moves towards what will hopefully develop into something fun, and maybe even meaningful – hopefully with the help of a few great Valentines Day Gifts.

Perhaps illustrating the importance of love and of Valentine’s Day around the world, it’s interesting that there exists so many different lists showing how to say “I love you” in the different languages spoken all over the globe. For example, one such list reminds us that “I love you” in Polish is “Kocham cie”, while in Japanese, the correct phrase is apparently “Aishite imasu”. And, of course, who can fail to know the French way of saying “I love you”, “Je t’aime”.

So, with love being such a universal human trait, how is Valentine’s Day – or celebrations similar to it – celebrated around the world? Are there any special traditions, and do observers still give what we would recognise as Valentines Day Gifts?

In the western world Valentine’s Day celebrations are often somewhat similar, and even in instances where differences exist, they aren’t necessarily that profound. For example, in both Denmark and Norway – where Valentine’s Day is known as Valentinsdag – the day is celebrated to a lesser extent, and there is a reduced emphasis placed upon the giving and receiving of Valentines Day Gifts. In Finland, there are also differences that make February 14th less orientated towards love; known as Ystavanpaiva – which translates as “Friend’s Day” – the celebration is orientated towards remembering friends rather than lovers. It is similarly the case in Estonia. Much like Denmark and Norway, these latter countries probably also place a reduced emphasis upon the giving and receiving of romantic Valentines Day Gifts.

However, in France and Spain, the day is celebrated in much the same way as it is in the UK and the US. Known in both of these continental European countries as Saint Valentin and San Valentin respectively, given the similarities the emphasis placed upon the giving and receiving of Valentines Day Gifts is probably just as strong.

Further afield, across large parts of South America, celebrations known as Secret Friend and Love and Friendship Day are generally celebrated on the same day as Valentine’s Day. And in Brazil, although Valentine’s Day on February 14th is generally not observed, a very similar type of holiday is celebrated on June 12th. Known as either the Day of the Enamoured or Boyfriends’/Girlfriends’ Day, celebrations are remarkably similar to those undertaken elsewhere on February 14th; they even involve the giving of items reminiscent of Valentines Day Gifts. In Brazil, ‘Valentines Day Gifts‘ given include flowers, cards and chocolates.

However, across the other side of the globe, beautifully executed marketing programmes have led to a number of Asian countries celebrating Valentine’s Day, and consequently spending large sums of money on suitable Valentines Day Gifts. Among the countries that favour celebrating Valentine’s Day include South Korea and China.

Elsewhere, in Israel, whether or not Valentine’s Day is actually observed, on February 14th, a traditional celebration in honour of love is observed in late August – specifically, it takes place during the month of Av, on the 15th day. Although modern ways of celebrating do now differ from traditional practices, the day remains popular and is a well-liked occasion for making declarations of love, swapping gifts – similar to our Valentine’s Day Gifts perhaps – and even making marriage proposals.

However, wherever you are in the world and whether or not you celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th – complete with the giving and receiving of Valentines Day Gifts – make sure you at least keep the spirit of it close to your heart; when you love and care about someone, make sure you let them know. And, although it’s not all about Valentines Day Gifts, we all appreciate a little present every now and again.

Many people try to complain that Valentine’s Day is nothing more than a “Hallmark holiday” dreamed up by businesses seeking to profit from the desperate masses seeking love. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Valentine’s Day traces its history back to ancient Rome, long before any such businesses started looking towards their bottom line.

In ancient Rome, February 14th was declared to be a celebration for Juno, queen of all the Roman gods and goddesses. Boys and girls who were segregated throughout the year would come together and draw names from a jar, and would pair up with the chosen person throughout the Festival of Lupercalia. Often, as a result of these pairings, the couples would fall in love and sometimes get married.

There are many legends of how Valentine’s Day came to be at this point in Ancient Rome. Some believe that St. Valentine helped prisoners of harsh Roman prisons escape and thus was imprisoned by the Roman Empire. This legend continues that, while in prison, St. Valentine fell in love with his jailor’s daughter and began to send her written love letters signed “From your valentine.”

The prevailing legend is that St. Valentine was a Roman priest who began to secretly marry couples against the direct orders of Emperor Claudius II. Claudius believed that he was having difficulties recruiting soldiers for his immense military because the young men didn’t want to leave their sweethearts at home. To combat this problem, he declared that both engagements and marriages were illegal. St. Valentine eventually was executed for his violation of Claudius’ orders, but his spirit lived on throughout Rome.

When the Roman Empire fell and the Church became more prevalent throughout medieval Europe, they abolished all pagan rituals and celebrations including the Festival of Lupercalia. However, the people didn’t want to give up their traditions of boys drawing girls’ names. Therefore, the Church declared February 14th to be a holiday in celebration of St. Valentine, the priest who secretly married so many couples.

However, the boys were then told to draw names of saints instead of girls. The boys were then to emulate the life of their chosen saint for the following year. The people continued this for a short period of time, and then reverted back to choosing names of girls instead of the saints.

By the 15th Century, St. Valentines Day was celebrated with lovers singing their romantic feelings to their chosen ones. People often wrote sonnets and other love poems to give to their romantic interests. By the end of this century, these sonnets were written on ornate paper and became the first valentines. In fact, the oldest surviving valentine was written in 1415 from the Duke of Orleans to his wife. It was written while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London and is on display in the British Museum in London.

Soon, valentine brands became known for their unique properties. Fraktur Valentines were known for their ornate, medieval-style lettering. A piece of paper was folded and cut into an elaborate, lacey pattern for Cutout Valentines. Puzzle Purse Valentines were complex puzzles of folded paper, allowing different portions of the valentine to be exposed at different times. Oilpaper stencils were used to paint Theoren Valentines. And Pinprick Valentines were made by, naturally, pricking a piece of paper repeatedly to transform the paper into a lace of sorts.

By the 18th Century, Valentine’s Day became extremely popular throughout Great Britain and lovers began to exchange token gifts alongside their valentine cards. Amongst the commoners, this gift was often a small sweet that could be obtained with meager funds. In the upper classes, the gifts became more and more extravagant and included large boxes of chocolates, sweets, and even jewels.

In the 1840′s, Esther A. Howland began her company producing valentines in the United States. She became known as the Mother of the Valentine, producing beautiful cards of colored paper, lace, and ornate lettering. By the late 19th Century, valentines were produced in factories by Norcross, later to be known as Hallmark.

These factory-produced valentines grew to encompass more than just declarations of undying love and devotion. As society changed and moved away from formal courtship, the valentines began to cover more light-hearted messages of humor and affection. These valentines became even more widely accepted as people expanded their circles of friends and companions.

Today, Valentine’s Day is celebrated as a holiday honoring romance. Boys and girls no longer pick names out of a jar, but instead exchange valentines with token messages of affection. In the tradition of Great Britain, children often exchange small sweets, while adult lovers give each other large cases of sweets and gifts.

While the exact origins of Valentine’s Day are slightly murky, there is no doubt that it is not just a holiday from the modern times. Instead, it is a chance to both honor the history and modernity of romance and affection.