Valentines Day is an annual holiday that honors lovers on February 14. Valentine cards are designed with red heart symbols to signify love. Valentines Day is a time when gifts, flowers and candy are exchanged between lovers. According to the legend, Valentines Day was originally a fertility celebration in ancient Roman tradition. As Christianity gained dominance in Europe, pagan holidays were converted into Christian holidays honoring martyrs, and pope Gelasius converted February 14 into a holiday in honor of Saint Valentine. However, there were three saints known by that name and to whom the holiday was ascribed remains a mystery.
WHO WAS THE ORIGINAL VALENTINE? THE HISTORY
Valentine, who is attributed to Valentines Day, lived during the decline of the Roman Empire when Emperor Claudius II issued a decree forbidding marriage. This was a way of retaining men as soldiers because his empire was under foreign aggression. Valentine saw the decree as unjust and organized to meet young lovers in secret places for a sacrament of matrimony. He was soon arrested and thrown into prison where he healed his jailer’s blind daughter and fell in love with her. He was finally executed on February 14, 270 AD and became a saint for refusing to denounce his catholic faith. After his death, young Romans started sending handwritten greetings to the women they admired every February 14. The holiday however remained a Christian holiday until the 14 century when a famous writer called Chaucer associated St. Valentines Day with romance.
CELEBRATE VALENTINES DAY WITH VALENTINES GIFTS
Love gifts are exchanged during Valentines Day and the gifts can be personalized for both sender and receiver. This can be done by having ones special thoughts written as a message on the gifts. Simple crafts can be used as pleasant surprises, and easy homemade crafts include the Valentines Day hearts pouch, sparkling love treasure chest, sweetheart gift ring or the Valentines Day round zodiac and sun sign box.
Ribbons and laces are associated with love, a tradition from the ancient knights who went into battle sporting the handkerchief or scarf from their ladyloves. Other symbols included roses and cupids.
It is a tradition for chocolate to be passed between lovers on this day, wrapped in a heart-printed paper signed with a tag. A poem can also be drafted or copied on a beautiful letter pad to convey special thoughts.
Apart from material gifts Valentines Day is a time when lovers plan to spend quality time with each other. This can be at picnics, a special dinner that could be candlelight, a specially decorated living room and romantic home cooked meal, or in an open-air. Surprise gifts can be given after dinner to add on to the day’s charm,
SPICE UP YOUR ROMANTIC VALENTINE DAY! VALENTINES DAY IDEAS
To spice up Valentines Day couples can read to each other jokes on marriage and wedding or jokes on husbands and wives in a married life. Jokes are wittily crafted and can develop into interesting discussions. Lovers watch romantic movies too. Valentines Day has been associated with many symbols like the ubiquitous heart sign, which was believed to be the seat of all emotions. The heart gift represents a selfless act of giving ones all to the one he/she loves.