Every February, across the country,
chocolates, 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 day ? 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...
Valentine's Day Messages:
Your loved one's personal messages in our Valentine's
Message Board click
here
The Valentine Day Heart:
What is the origin of the familiar double-lobed heart symbol
seen on Valentine's Day? Would you like to know more.. click
here
History of Valentine
Valentine's Day celebration dates back to the ancient times
when the 'Feast of Lupercal' was celebrated in the honour of
the Roman God of Fertility. This day falls on the 15th of February
every year. According to a time worn custom, on the eve of
Lupercalia (14th of February) a ritual of 'name drawing' was
followed, during which a young man drew the name of a girl
from the lot, who was to be his sweetheart for the whole year.
Romance, has, of course always made the world go round but
we must say that these Romans knew how to make it official.
Since then, this day (14th of February) has been considered
as the day of Cupid, the mischievous son of Venus -the Roman
Goddess of Love.
Lovers through the ages have taken this day as their own -
a day to celebrate the finest human emotion. The reason for
celebration is ageless, but it was much later that a great
lover gave the day his name.
The eternal lover that gave us the famous word 'Valentine'
and originated the tradition of writing love letters on this
day, is believed to be Bishop Valentine. He was a priest in
Rome when, the city was ruled by 'Claudius the Cruel'. Inspite
of the fact that Claudius had forbidden Christian conversions
and Christian marriages, the Bishop refused to surrender to
Roman Gods and carried on his religious duties in secret. He
was imprisoned for disobedience, but even in prison he converted
the convicts.
While he was in prison, the jailer's daughter became his
friend and was loyal to him through his ordeal. When Claudius
came to know that imprisonment had not broken his enduring
Christian spirit, the bishop was executed. However, on the
day of his death Valentine wrote a note to his friend, 'the
jailer's daughter' and signed it - 'From Your Valentine'.
This great man who died for his beliefs, for his enduring
love of the Christian God, was chosen as the patron Saint of
lovers. 14th February has since been celebrated as Valentine's
Day.
Romantic souls all over the world have preferred to focus
on the romantic twist of this tale, the story of the man who
united lovers in the holy bond of marriage; a man who loved
his jailer's daughter and started the tradition of writing
love notes.
There is indeed, no lack of inspiration for believers in love
and romance. Romantic significance of the 14th of February
crosses human boundaries and enters the heart of nature - it
was a popular belief in the olden times that the birds chose
their mates on this day.
Be it the world of the winged lovers or those with their feet
firmly on the ground and their thoughts in the clouds, the
popularity of this holiday, among those young at heart proves
that the heart does go on. So all you lovers and ' wannabe'
lovers out there, rise in love (literally) and stake your claim.
To help you carry on the cherished tradition of celebrating
your love, we are just providing new ways to cope with those
exuberant, exhilarating and simply undeniable bursts of emotion.
Why not step up your energy levels
this Valentine's! Be at your peak, especially if it's of
a sexual nature, give yourself extra energy levels - or
is it ego - a big boost! More...
Did you Know:
Hundreds of years ago in England, many children dressed up as adults on Valentine's
Day. They went singing from home to home. One verse they sang was:
Good morning to you, valentine;
Curl your locks as I do mine---
Two before and three behind.
Good morning to you, valentine.
|