Valentine's Day - Come... lets fall in love...
Valentine Day is approaching and its time for lovers to express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery. Many boys and girls even propose to their sweetheart on this romantic day. The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "valentines". And other gifts like heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. People also express love to their friends, teachers, siblings and parents. Popular Valentine's Day gifts exchanged in India include chocolates, fresh flowers, cards, soft toys and candies. Lovers are also clubbed with several other gifts to pamper sweethearts.
Valentine's Day is a festival that nurtures love and romance. The festival falls on February 14 every year and is celebrated in various countries across the world including America, Japan, France, Canada, London, China and India. Though the festival solemnize the martyrdom of a Christian saint called St Valentine, the festival as it is celebrated today has little religious significance. In present times, Valentine's Day has assumed a secular and global flavor and is celebrated by people of all ages and races.
Another noticeable factor in Valentine's Day celebration is that it is not just restricted to romantic love, people therefore celebrate Valentine's Day greetings with their parents, teachers, friends, siblings, sweethearts or anyone special or close to them.
Saint Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day falls on February 14 every year. It is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by exchanging love letters, cards, flowers, chocolates and other valentine gifts. The whole month of February has a romantic aroma about it in India as well as all over the world.
Valentines Day is celebrated in remembrance of Saint Valentine who suffered martyrdom in AD 269 on February 14. Saint Valentine served Rome as a priest during the third century and this day certainly emphasizes on his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. He was a great supporter of love and thus adored by lovers throughout the world.
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.
Legends of Valentine's Day: The origin of Valentine's day goes back to the time of Roman Empire during the reign of Claudius II. When he decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men - his crop of potential soldiers. St. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, boldly face Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When St. Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. St. Valentine was martyred on February 14th, 269AD.
Another legend from the same period of time reads that Valentine fell in love with a young girl who was the jailer's daughter and often visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today.
Valentine's Day in ancient Rome was considered to be an important event. The ancient Greeks held celebrations in honor of Juno, the Goddess of Woman and Marriage, and Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The celebration began on February 15th with the feast of Lupercalia. Love lotteries were held on the eve of the festival where girls names were written on paper, and the men drew their partners for the festival duration.
Valentine's Day celebration is a recent occurrence in India but has caught the attention of people to a great degree. Though some see it as a western culture but there exist a large and growing number of those who love the feeling behind this beautiful and romantic occasion. Especially to the Indian youth, February 14 signifies love, a day when people express their affection for others. Just as several other countries, people in India too celebrate the Valentine's Day by exchanging cards and gifts.
Every February, across the country, candy, 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 enveloped in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. To know further, come let's take a tour to the festival of Love, Valentine's Day through this section.
In Medieval times, girls ate bizarre foods on St Valentine's Day to make them dream of their future spouse.
In the Middle Ages, there was a belief that the first unmarried person of the opposite sex you met on the morning of St. Valentine's Day would become your spouse.
The first valentine card is supposed to be sent by the Duke of Orleans to his wife when he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415.
The most expensive Valentine card ever sent was by an Indian Prince to a woman in London in 1891. It was set in carved in ivory surrounded by diamonds and cost 250,000 pounds.
In Wales, wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favorite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!"
Valentine Day Gifts in some countries: It is believed that if a young woman accepts a red rose from a man on Valentines Day, she loves him.
According to Roman mythology, Cupid is considered to be the the god of Love & Beauty. He is a child-like, winged deity, known as the son of Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love. In Greek mythology, Cupid is known as Aphrodite's son Eros. In popular culture, Cupid is frequently shown shooting his bow to inspire romantic love, often as an iconic of Valentine's Day.
"Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine, love, thou art every day my Valentine.
- by Thomas Hood
"Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love"
- by Albert Einstein
"For you see, each day I love you more Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow."
- by Rosemonde Gerard
"Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs."
- by William Shakespeare
1. "It takes half of our life to find true love, And half to keep them.
I am lucky to spend less than half in finding U
And the rest of my life to be spent in keeping U in my heart."
2."'I Trust You' is a better compliment than 'I Love You' because you may not always trust the person you love but you can always love the person you trust."
3."My soul is shattered without your arms to hold me,
Like a mirror without a reflection.
I Love U my Valentine"
4."I finally got my past, present and future tenses correct today.
I loved you. I love you. I will love you forever"
5."Luv meanz to see someone with closed eyez,
to miss some1 in crowd,
2 find some1 in every thought,
to live 4 some1, luv some1, but sure tht sum1 is ONLY one"
6."If i reached for your hand , will u hold it ?
If i hold out my arms, will u hug me ?
If i go for your lips, will u kiss me ?
If i capture ur heart , will u love me ?? "
7."D smallest word is I,
the sweetest word is LOVE
and the dearest person
in the world is U.
thats y I Love You"
8."'In life luv is neither planned nor does it happen 4 a reason
but when d luv is real
it becums ur plan 4 life
n reason 4 living"
9."Love is something beautiful,a desire,
A feeling that one would like to catch.
Love is the feeling that makes you feel alive.
Love is something that may never go away"
10."Love can be expressed in many ways.
One way I know is to send it across the distance to the person who is reading this"
If I could be a postman
For just one single time,
I'd choose to carry valentines
so lovely and so fine.
I would not mind the heavy load,
Or mind my tired feet.
If I could scatter happiness
Up and down the street.
5 little valentines just for you
The first one says, "My love is true."
The second one says, "You have my heart."
The third one says, "We'll never part."
The fourth one says, "Won't you please be mine?"
The fifth one says, "'Til the end of time."
Won't you bee my valentine
And fly away with me?
We'll bumble along together
'Cause you're my Honey Bee!