The Celebration of Valentine's Day
The History of Valentine's Day
The history of Valentine's Day -- and its patron saint -- is largely a mystery and clouded by various Mythological stories. Valentine's Day as we know it today has evolved and merged from various ancient Roman, Pagan and Christian traditions.
According to mythology, the Valentine's Day Celebrations originated from the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a fertility celebration held annually on February 15th. As Christianity spread across Europe, Lupercalia, as with many other Pagan rituals, was renamed and recast as a Christian celebration. In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius declared February 14th to be a feast day, in Celebration of Saint Valentine, a Roman martyr from the 3rd century. The recast festival involved young Romans offering women they admired, and wished to court, handwritten greetings of affection on February 14th.
The mystery arises in attempting to identify which St. Valentine Pope Gelasius had in mind. The Catholic Encyclopedia identifies three St. Valentines, all of which, surprisingly, declared to have been martyred on February 14th.
The legend most commonly agreed upon is that of the Roman Bishop Valentine who live around 270 B.C. This St. Valentine fell into disfavor with the Roman Emperor Claudius II and was executed by the Emperor. The legend claims that Claudius II, believing that married men did not make good soldiers, prohibited marriage for young men. Bishop Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied the emperor's edict and preformed marriages in secret. Valentine was eventually discovered by the emperor and arrested and on February 14th 270A.D., he was executed.
(Valentine's Day is February 14, 2010)
The Best Gifts from the Heart
A list of Free or Inexpensive Things you can do or give for Valentine's Day
Do you have a special gift or activity that you give or do for Valentine's Day? Please add it to the list of Romantic Ideas.
Photo Collage
Create a photo collage of all your best photos together as a couple or of a romantic vacation or your best memories together, or anything that has a special meaning for you as a couple. Include some special notes, or quotes or poems and this will be a gift that is treasured forever.0 points
Romantic CD
Create a CD of Romantic Music, or create a playlist for their ipod or mp3 player. Choose your favorite romantic songs, or better yet, try to choose their favorite songs. Give this as a gift, or use it to set the mood for your romantic evening.0 points
Make it a Movie Night
Get a collection of their favorite Romantic Movies and snuggle up on the couch for the night.0 points
Make a Promise Box
Get a small box, decorate it with a photo of you, or your favorite place or something meaningful. Inside the box, make a collection of cards which list nice things you can do for your love. Some examples might be a full body massage, spend an hour doing something they love to do but you don't, win a fight free.0 points
A Selfless Act
Is there something that your significant other loves to do but you hate? or you usually decline to do? Make a date to do it with them. Who knows, you may even find that you enjoy it too!0 points
25 Long Stem Red Roses
The Most Popular Valentines Day Gift
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Romantic Movies to Enjoy with your Sweetheart
A hundred hearts
would be too few
To carry all my love for you.
Women's Valentine's Day T-shirts
Women's Valentine's Day T-shirts
Men's Valentine's Day T-shirts
Kid's Valentine's Day T-shirts
I Carry Your Heart
e.e. cummings
I carry your heart with me
(I carry it in my heart)
I am never without it (anywhere
I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)
I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
Here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)
Valentine's Gifts
For you see,
each day I love you more
Today more than yesterday
and less than tomorrow.
~Rosemonde Gerard
Valentine's Day Gifts
Are you a Valentine or an Anti-Valentine?
Do you love Valentine's Day or hate it?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byI love it!
Janusz says:
I met my first real girlfriend after receiving a card, we would never have met if it hadn´t been for this great day.. It´s the perfect oppertunity to tell someone, youvé been secretly admiring, how you feel ;)
Posted January 10, 2009
klieneine says:
I love Valentine's Day, I think we need more days in the year that remind us to share our feelings with those we love. Sometimes, in this busy world we live in, we get caught up in life and don't always tell and show those we love and appreciate how much we care about them.
Posted January 10, 2009
I hate it!
Love This Lens?
- Rate this lens:
- Email it
- Favorite it
- Lensroll it
Your Thoughts on Valentine's Day
What do you do on Valentine's Day?
Do you have a really romantic tradition? Do you have a favorite poem or quote that shares your feelings about love? Are there things about Valentine's Day that you think should change? Do you think Valentine's Day has become too commercialized? Share your thoughts, favorite love quotes and poems, or just reminisce on your best Valentine's Day memories.
-
Reply
- grannysage grannysage Apr 3, 2009 @ 9:25 pm
- Valentine's Day may be over for this year, but it is never too late to say "I Love You." Great lens. I'm lensrolling it to My Husband Never Gives Me Flowers. And thanks for visiting The Adventures of Wanderer. He is quite the romancer as well, as will be told some time soon.
-
Reply
- Rewards4life Rewards4life Jan 14, 2009 @ 2:27 am
- This is a very nice lens. 5*
-
Reply
- nutmeg830221 nutmeg830221 Jan 10, 2009 @ 10:29 pm
- I wish my husband would love it as much as I do, but it's ok because at least he loves me!
-
Reply
- Jewelsofawe Jewelsofawe Jan 10, 2009 @ 10:07 pm
- I love that poem. It was in a movie with Cameron Diaz called In Her Shoes. This is a nice lens.
Learn more about St. Valentine and the History of Valentine's Day
- Wikipedia on 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 express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery. The holiday is named after two among the numerous Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished...
- History of Valentines Day
- The History of Valentine's day originates from the fourth century B.C, and might have stemmed to curb a cruel practice. Learn the origin and history of this universally loved love festival.
by klieneine
Explore related pages
The Funniest Valentine Designs on the Web are here at Make Me Laugh - Valentine's Day Edition- I love to laugh, even at traditionally romantic holidays like Valentine's Day. A...
Valentine Traditions Around The World- Valentine's Day falls on February 14th each year. In the United States and most...
Anti-Valentine's Day Celebration- Are you a Valentine's Day hater? Does cupid make you cringe? Do hearts and flo...
Unicorn Heart Art- Unicorn Heart by Debbie Overstreet is an illustration of a sweet unicorn forever...
Unique Vegan T-shirts- Looking for some great Vegan T-shirts? Here is my collection of favorite Vegan t...
Unique Vegetarian T shirts- Are you tired of boring t shirts that don't show your personality? Share your me...
