When is Valentine’s Day?
Only
2014 – When Valentine’s Day is on a Friday.
Happy Valentine
With the proliferation of smart phones, tablets and the like it’s now possible to get apps that will do almost anything for you. ‘Send a sexy text’ offers pre-written romantic texts to knock your partner off his/her feet. I liked this example quoted in ‘The Guardian’ (UK).
My Love
1st time I saw u I was scared 2 touch u.
1st time I touched u I was scared 2 kiss u.
1st time I kiss u I was scared 2 love u,
But now dat I love u im scared 2 lose u.
A Romantic Moment?
It was Valentine’s Day. Diana was feeling romantic but her husband, Harvey, was away from home at a business conference, so she sent him a text message:
“If you are sleeping, send me your dreams. If you are laughing, send me your smile.
If you are eating, send me a bite. If you are drinking send me a sip. If you are crying, send me your tears. I love you!”
Harvey, a typical down-to-earth, non -romantic male, replied,
“I am on the toilet. Please advise.”
The Legend of St Valentine
St Valentine’s day history goes back to Roman times. The emperor Claudius II was a student of human nature and way back in AD 287 he calculated that single men made braver soldiers than married men. Therefore, as Claudius had absolute power, he dictated than no soldier should marry. A Roman called Valentinus thought that this was rough justice and secretly married soldiers who had a sweetheart.
When Claudius discovered that Valentinus had defied his decree he threw Valentinus into jail. Whilst incarcerated, Valentinus fell in love with the gaoler’s daughter and sent her the first ever card – from your sweet Valentine.
St Valentine
Much later, in AD 496 Pope Gelasius, chose 14 February as the day to honour and remember Saint Valentine. Unfortunately, tantalisingly little is known about these early origins of St Valentine.
In the history of St Valentine’s day, it is the 17th century which was the most important and truly romantic era. The 14th of February became important as a day to exchange love notes by sending poems and gifts. Sometimes dances and small festivals were held.
In modern times, 1416, Charles, Duke of Orleans, sent one of the earliest Valentines, from his imprisonment in the Tower of London after the Battle of Agincourt. He sent several Valentine poems to his wife in France.
Valentine Shock
The Heart is the Most Common Symbol of Romantic Love
Ancient cultures believed the human soul lived in the heart. Others thought it to be the source of emotions and intelligence. Some believed the heart embodied a man’s truth, strength and nobility. The heart may be associated with love because the ancient Greeks believed it was the target of Eros, known as cupid to the Romans. Anyone shot in the heart by one of Cupid’s arrows would fall hopelessly in love. Because the heart is so closely linked to love, its red colour is thought to be the most romantic.
P.S. If you have a St Valentine’s Day 2014 story, then please send it to us.
