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 Valentine's Day - An Ancient
and Enduring Tradition
Valentine's Day Craft Fun
Tips to Keep Your Romance Sparkling
Valentine's Day - An
Ancient and Enduring Tradition
(ARA) - Valentine's Day is a tradition that has
been celebrated since ancient Roman times - February 14th was the day the Romans honored
Juno, the goddess of marriage. But the rich history of this holiday is largely unknown to
many of the romantic couples who will celebrate Valentine's with chocolates and flowers.
Stories vary as to exactly how the current celebration of Valentine's Day came about, but
one account attributes the custom to the commemoration of a martyred Roman priest. The
story states that during the reign of Emperor Claudius II, known as Claudius the Cruel,
marriages and engagements were banned in an effort to recruit soldiers to the Roman army
who otherwise would not have left their loved ones and families.
When Saint Valentine, a priest who defied Claudius' orders and married couples in secret,
was beaten and beheaded on February 14th for his actions, people began to celebrate the
day in his memory as Saint Valentine's Day, a day of love in which tokens of affection are
exchanged.
Today, Saint Valentine's Day is still celebrated around the world. While traditions vary,
the main theme for the day is still the expression of love and the exchange of tokens of
affection.
In modern Italy, Valentine's Day is a day celebrated between lovers. Sweethearts exchange
gifts such as chocolates, flowers or jewelry, and give each other Valentine's Day cards.
In the rest of the Western Hemisphere the day is celebrated much the same - lovers give
each other cards and gifts, and gifts are also given to family members and friends.
In the East, Valentine's Day celebrations take place with a twist. In South Korea and
Japan, for example, only the girls observe the day by giving gifts, traditionally
chocolate or sweets, to boys.
In America, the celebration of Valentine's Day began during the 1700s with men and women
exchanging elegant love poems and Valentine verses written on decorative paper. In the
1830s, Esther Howland, the daughter of a Worcester, Mass., stationer, established a
business selling her own Valentine creations. During the Victorian Era, Valentines became
less elegant and more extravagant. The poems became more comical and satirical, poking fun
at teachers and old maids. Over the past century, the day has come to be celebrated not
just through the exchange of Valentines, but through giving candy, sweets and gifts to
loved ones.
Valentine's Day Craft Fun
(FeatureSource) - If you're planning to host a
Valentine's Day Party for kids, either in the classroom or at home, here are some
Valentine crafts the kids can create to make the holiday even more special.
Heart Mobile: Fill the room with fluttering hearts! Cut out lots of
hearts from red, pink, purple, blue and white construction paper, in all different sizes.
Lay out a three-foot length of red ribbon on the table for each child. Have the kids
select several hearts and glue them to the ribbon, a few inches apart. Turn the ribbon
over and glue hearts to the other side, matching the first ones, so the hearts have fronts
and backs. Allow to dry, then hang the fluttering Heart Mobiles from the ceiling!
Heart Pin: Wear your heart on your chest instead of your sleeve! Make up
a batch of Baker's Clay by combining 4 cups flour, 1 cup salt, and 1 3/4 cups water. Stir,
tint the dough red or pink if you like, then knead with your hands until well mixed. Roll
dough flat and let the kids cut it into heart shapes, using cookie cutters or a cardboard
pattern and knife. Insert a safety pin in the back of the heart, then bake at 250 degrees
until firm, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Allow to cool, detail with permanent felt-tip pens,
then wear your Heart Pins - or give them to a loved one!
I Love You Coupons: Here's a great gift the kids can make for their
parents, siblings, best friends, or any special someone! Cut out hearts from construction
paper, 6-8 for each child. Have the kids write promises to their special someones on each
heart, such as "Good for one back rub," "Good for one batch of homemade
chocolate chip cookies," "Good for one poem written by me to you." Place
the hearts in an envelope and present them to loved ones on Valentine's Day.
(Editor's note: My children made coupon books for their dad last Valentine's Day and they
were a big hit -- in fact, he still has the coupon book and uses the coupons. His favorite
coupons: chocolate chip cookies and "kids go to bed early night.")
Tips to Keep Your Romance
Sparkling
(FeatureSource) - Spark up your love life with these
quick tips.
.
1.Tell each other, "I love you" first thing in the morning and just before you
fall asleep. You may get so used to hearing that as the last words of the day, you might
not be able to fall asleep unless you hear them.
2. Leave notes for each other with loving messages. Choose frequently seen places, like
the fridge or bathroom mirror, or unexpected places, like the briefcase, wallet, or sock
drawer. Update the messages every week. A faded sticky note on the fridge might send the
wrong message. Have a secret stash of funny, romantic cards. When your partner travels for
work, smuggle an inscribed card into the suitcase.
3. If you have kids, arrange a weekly or monthly evening with a babysitter, grandparent,
or friend - same time every time - and go out (or stay in), just the two of you. If only
for a few hours, this standing date will be something you can put on your calendar so you
can both look forward to it.
4. Make ordinary meals special. Light candles, even if you are sending out for pizza; pour
something sparkling into wine glasses; place a flower in a bud vase; turn off the TV and
play some romantic music. Those are all simple, inexpensive, and fast touches that will
turn any dinner into a romantic occasion.
5. Have some sweet or funny pet names for each other, and use them. Just don't let those
pet names become habitual. Be aware of what the names mean and why you use them. For
example, don't call each other sweetie pie in the middle of a heated argument.
6. Take walks together and hold hands, even if you are also pushing a stroller.
7. Dust off all the silky little nothings you have accumulated but probably never wear,
and wear them.
8. Create a Romance Collection Jar, and empty all your silver change and a dollar or two
into it every evening. Once the jar is full, do something fun with it - a restaurant you
want to try, a show you would like to see, and so on. Collecting the money builds
anticipation, which is part of the experience. Make a list of restaurants, shows, movies,
and so on, and hang the list next to the jar. Or, to make decision even easier, cut the
list into strips and keep them in a container.
9. On little strips of paper write romantic things to do that require little or no
preparation: dining out in a restaurant, taking a walk, going for a scenic drive, having a
picnic, reading poetry to each other, taking a bubble bath, giving each other a massage,
dancing in the living room or the backyard, stargazing, and anything else you think is
romantic. Place the strips into a bowl, jar, box, or whatever, labeled Romance Helpers.
When you feel like doing something romantic but don't know what, just pull out a romantic
idea and make a plan of action.
10. Have some daily rituals to bring you together: an hour of watching a favorite program
on TV while cuddling on the couch; a daily walk after dinner; eating dinner together every
night; and so on. These rituals can involve the kids as well, as with dinner or a walk,
for example. You might ask, how is that romantic? Having fun together is romantic, no
matter what you might be doing. If you take people who love each other, confine them to a
small space, and have them tickle and laugh together, you get closeness, enjoyment, and as
an offshoot, romance.
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