History of Valentines Day

The Real History of Valentines Day

For centuries Valentines Day has been the center of love and affection, with small gifts and tokens of affection passing back and forth between lovers and loved ones. But very few people know the real history of Valentines Day. Even though we now associate the holiday with love, cupids, and fanciful dreams of romance, the truth is that February 14th holds far deeper and far older traditions than one might originally think.

St. Valentine

If one looks back into historical texts of the Catholic Church, they will find that the actual history of Valentines Day revolves around the day when a saint by the name of Valentine was martyred for his faith. Apparently, Valentine was killed when he dared to defy the Roman Emperor Claudius II, and performed secret marriages for young lovers.

Other accounts claim that St. Valentine was killed when he helped Christians escape from the clutches of Roman inquisitors who were torturing and killing prisoners. Another interesting thing to note about the history of Valentines Day is that the Catholic Church actually recognizes eleven different saints named Valentine, and three of them share February 14 as their day of recognition.

Chaucer, Love Birds, and the Middle Ages

The first time in the history of Valentines Day that love and lovers are actually associated with the day is during the Middle Ages in a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer. After the famous writer mentioned the two love birds that represented the engagement of the young king Richard II to his young bride to be, Anne of Bohemia.

After this first association of love in the history of Valentines Day, the idea quickly grew popular. By the 17th century, it had become custom for young lovers to exchange small tokens and hand written love notes with each other. By the 18th century, greeting cards began to be commercially produced just for the holiday; and by the middle of the 19th century, retailers began offering special gifts for young men to present to the ladies they were suiting.

Although the history of Valentines Day isn't necessarily as romantic as we are led to believe, the fact remains that it has become one of the most popular, and commercially profitable, holidays ever. Today, men often present their wives and girlfriends with chocolates, flowers, and cards; and the day has come to be associated with the highest number of marriage proposals than any other. One fact remains true regardless of the actual history of Valentines Day - and that is the fact that this is the one day of the year when people feel the most able to express their feelings of affection for one another.

Valentines Day things to do

Valentines Day things to do: all about love for your partner

Often, finding things to do that are meaningful and pleasurable can be quite difficult to think up and so most people struggle through Valentine’s Day, though the best way to overcome this obstacle would be to understand the true meaning behind this important day and to also be able to distinguish hype from reality. In other words, Valentine’s Day should be about love for your opposite number and once you realize this, you can think of many useful Valentines Day things to do.

Kiss Her Upside-Down

One novel way of finding appropriate Valentines Day things to do is to try and kiss your partner in a different way and it certainly does not mean giving her the chocolate type kiss; rather, you may want to experiment and an option worth exploring is the upside-down kiss in which your partner needs to lie on their back while holding their head at the knees and you cane kneel behind and bend down as kiss your partner’s lips upside down.

For the more sober minded people, Valentines Day things to do could involve writing a poem or something straight from your heart that should grab your partner’s attention and move them immensely. In fact, this option with regard to Valentines Day things to do is a lot better than what you find is written on a Valentine’s Day card because it is you who are writing words that mean something to you with which you hope will inspire your partner, rather than have them read an impersonal message on a card.

Another Valentines Day things to do is to cook something special for your partner, especially a favorite food, and even if you are not a wonderful cook to begin with, it will help teach you something new and it will also impress your partner by showing how much you care for him or her. In fact, this is an ideal way of showing your respect for another and it will be sure to deeply move your partner who will appreciate how much you care and love them.

Though, these Valentines Day things to do are generally cheap and even free to do, their value is often far more than any expensive dinner or gift and most people will appreciate something that comes straight from the heart a lot more than being bought things, which is more impersonal and not as sure to touch the heartstrings as these few Valentines Day things to do.

The bottom line is that when it concerns Valentines Day things to do you need to express your love in a personal way rather than show it though giving of gifts or through something that can be bought and which won’t be truly unique, which is what Valentines Day things to do should be all about.