BE MY VALENTINE!
Calling all sweethearts—Valentine’s Day is coming. Perhaps, you weren’t planning on celebrating this traditional day for lovers. After all, who needs a specific day to show your partner that you love him? On the other hand…
This becomes all the more complicated if you haven’t known your “valentine” for very long and therefore don’t know where he stands when it comes to this holiday. Don’t worry! Here we have a few suggestions for taking the guesswork out of the holiday, so that on Valentine’s Day you can fall in love effortlessly—or perhaps all over again!
First the facts: Was there a real “Saint Valentine”?
Valentine was a priest in Ternia near Rome in the 3rd century. According to legend, he baptized couples as Christians. There are many stories which tell of his benevolence to lovers. He was to have kept a large flower garden and gave away flowers to couples who passed by. Tradition also has it that he sent the first “valentine’s” card. According to legend, he fell in love with the jailor’s daughter while in prison, and sent her secret letters. On February 14th, 269, at the height of Christian persecution under Roman rule, he was martyred for performing marriages in secret.
One hundred years after his martyrdom, “Valentine’s Day” began to be celebrated in his honour. Even then, according to legend, women were presented with flowers. By the Middle Ages, Valentine had become one of the most venerated saints in Europe. The first commercial Valentine’s cards were produced in the 19th century. It is estimated that today a billion Valentine’s cards are sent each year worldwide.
