As its VALENTINE DAY Something here to share about VALENTINE
Valentine day is just few hours away and this day is traditionally celebrated after Saint Valentine. This is a day for “Love” and it is a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards etc. Usually the person, to whom we want to show our affection, is considered to be as our “valentine”.
Since this day is associated with “love”, you will see hearts, doves, and cupids all around. Lovers wait for this day eagerly to express their love for their partners. We all have associated the whole February month with love and its expression. Now, we have got even a valentine week in which hug day, kiss day, teddy day, chocolate day etc. are celebrated.
But, amongst all this, we don’t have any idea about who is Saint Valentine or why and how this day is associated with love. We don’t know this mysterious Saint and we never question the source from where all these traditions came from. There is so much mystery and confusion involved in this that today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.
According to the first version of this story, Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. It is believed that he refused to obey a law enforced by Emperor Claudius II, which ordered the young men to remain single. As he believed that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families. Thus he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Priest Valentine realized this injustice and defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Claudius found out about this, he had Valentine arrested and thrown in jail, where later on he was put to death. Another legend contends that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.
The third version of this theory (provided by American Greetings to History.com) suggests that, Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine befriended and healed his jailor’s daughter and eventually fell in love with this young girl. On the evening he was to be executed, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed "From your Valentine”.
Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is still not fully explicit, the stories certainly put him in a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, in a romantic role. It's no surprise that today Saint Valentine is one of the most popular saints, not only in England and France; but also in the whole world.
According to the Greeting Card Association, Valentine’s Day is the second largest card-selling holiday of the year with an estimated purchase of one billion valentine cards each year. On the other hand Christmas Day is at the first spot with around 2.6 billion cards either purchased or being sent on that day. In another interesting study, it was revealed that approximately 85 percent of all valentine greetings are purchased by women.
So, whether you are male or female, Valentine’s Day becomes incomplete without a sweet and romantic gift. The list is endless, either propose her with a big diamond ring, or cook him/her a favorite meal, go out on some romantic date together or just buy a “Love” keychain for your classmate; surprise your wife with a big rose bouquet or just plan something special and personal specially for your spouse.
In short, if you have fallen in love, just get up and express your heart’s desire to your valentine. Pen down all your thoughts in a valentine card or write a romantic poem and gift it to her. Show your love and creativity, get original and add your personal touch and create a fairytale romance for you. To add the “mush”, just snuggle up to your valentine, utter some cute valentine message in their ears and open their eyes to your special romantic surprise. Have Fun Guys, and a very happy Valentine’s Day to all of you! :)
