Holidays - The History And Origin Of Valentines Day

The History And Origin Of Valentines Day

The oldest Valentine card still in existence was sent in 1415 by Charles Duke of Orleans, at the time a prisoner in the Tower of London, to his wife. The Duke's Valentine's card is now preserved and displayed in the British Museum.

However, the origins of Valentine's Day lie in ancient Rome. Over the years the ever expanding Roman empire became more difficult to police and there was an increasing shortage of soldiers. Believing that married men were too attached to their families and unlikely to sign up for active service, Emperor Claudius II banned marriage, thinking this would increase the number of quality recruits.

The story goes that a Christian priest by the name of Valentine, seeing the unhappiness and trauma that resulted, secretly married couples in defiance of the new law.

It wasn't long before Emperor Claudius found out about Valentine's actions and the priest was imprisoned and eventually executed on February 14, 270.

Whilst in prison, Valentine was befriended by his jailer, a character called Asterius. Asterius had a blind daughter and the jailer asked Valentine to cure her, which he supposedly did. Shortly before his execution, Valentine asked for writing implements and signed a farewell message to the jailer's daughter "From your Valentine", a phrase that has lived on, much to the delight of modern day florists, rose growers and card companies!

Author: Tony Luck runs a personalized gifts site that specializes, among other things, in personalized ceramics - greeting cards, commemorative plates and tankards.

Sonya Rykiel Perfume Shop online for Sonya Rykiel Perfume at low internet prices and fast delivery from perfume | healthboutiques.eu

Dental Insurance | Health Insurance | Home Owner Insurance | Life Insurance Quote

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |

Valentines Day ? Where Did That Come From?
Just as soon as the stores put away their Christmas merchandise, out comes the Valentine's Day items - even though Valentine's is still more than six weeks away.I don't know why, but it always takes me by surprise to see Valentine's Day merchandise so soon after Christmas.I've always wondered where Valentine's Day came from, and und...(related: Holidays)

Halloween Safety Tips
Halloween is an exciting night for children and a busy time for their parents. With such excitement, it's easy for children to forget ba...(related: Holidays)

The Cheapest Christmas Ever!
Have you ever said "I wish we didn't have to spend so much money on Christmas?" or "I wish we could have Christmas without going into debt!" Well here is your answer - tell your family that next Christmas no one is allowed to buy a new, expensive gift for anyone! Yes, I really said that. Tell them that all presents must be from garage sales, tag sales, yard sales, auctions, handmade or made over.You really need to start now, or start next spring/summer, hit all the garages sales and auctions that you can. Find items that your family collects, things from sports teams that they li...(related: Holidays)

Greeting Card Tango: How To Impress, Not Stress, During The Holidays
When it comes to holiday greeting cards, to send or not to send is often the question. Once you have decided in the affirmative, you then have to determine who to include on your list, what kind of card to choose and how to address the envelope.There are lots of reasons for sending those holiday cards. You might want to enhance your current business relationships, attract new customers, remind old clients that you exist or show appreciation to those who have faithfully supported you during the year. What is obviously a well-meaning gesture can actually offend the people you want to impress when it is not done properly.The first place to start is with a good qu...(related: Holidays)

Home Made Gifts, The Best Way To Teach Your Kids The Value Of The Holiday
To a large extent the holidays have come to be more about materialism than the original values of peace, harmony, and faith. Advertisers hit us from all sides with messages of greed and pettiness. Every media outlet is rife with the idea, "buy this, or they wont love you."In such an age, it is important to remind the children about the true meaning of the season. This can be done, to some extent, by helping them to build their own gifts to give to others, and teaching them what the true ...(related: Holidays)

Christmas Decorating Ideas - Edible Ornaments
Although it is now more decades away than I care to admit too often, there were four things I loved most about my childhood Christmases in England:1. the excitement of the Christmas gifts being put under the Christmas tree, and then the family opening of the gifts on Christmas morning;2. the food; all the special sweets being put out Christmas Eve; Christmas Lunch with the turkey, lots of roast potatoes, brandy butter, and Christmas pudding being set alight at the table;3. all the Christmas ornaments and decorations going up before Christmas, and most especially putting up and decorating the Christmas tree; and,4. the games we would play.Food, though, did play a major part, and still does in English homes today. So, really, it is no surprise that food even became part of the ...(related: Holidays)

Valentines Day
Ever wondered how February 14 became, the day on which we celebrate and explore love in all its many ideals, Valentines Day.There are many differing opinions on how Valentines Day started.One story say that when the Roman Empire reigned, a festival every February was held in honour of the God of Fertility and during this time, young men would choose their mate. When a Emperor named Claudius can around, he outlawed all marriages in fear that the men would not be able to fight. Young couples still fell in love though and still wished to marry and they took these desires to the Catholic Bishop Valentine who, understan...(related: Holidays)

Outdoor Halloween Decorations
Few things are more thrilling for a trick-or-treater than walking up to a house detailed with ghastly Halloween decorations. Whether you use complicated props like swooping ghosts, or simple, classic decorations, like glowing jack-o-lanterns, scarecrows, and indian corn, your house will delight visitors. A haunted yard, complete with fun...(related: Holidays)

Samanthas Bay Leaf Ritual For The New Year
HI would like to share with you a ritual I do every New Year's that is quite involved and requires a lot of thought and meditation time. It is derived from an ancient Greek ritual for prosperity and fertility. As you may recall, ancient Mediterranean Kings and Queens used to wear garlands of bay leaves (as well as olive leaves) as crowns. Bay leaves, a...(related: Holidays)

Alone For The Holidays?
Being alone is a challenge for many people. This challenge may loom especially large during the holidays if you are single or newly divorced and without family around you. Holidays are a time to share love, and many people end up feeling depressed when they do not have people around with whom to share love. If you are in this situation, what can you do to make the holidays joyous rather than depressing?The key phrase here is SHARE LOVE. Too often people think in terms of getting love rather than giv...(related: Holidays)

Hassle-free Holiday Baking: 6 Easy Days To Perfect Christmas Cookies
Like many people, I love the idea of making a large assortment of Christmas cookies during the holidays, but I find it difficult to find the time to get it done. As a working mother, cookbook author and webmaster of Christmas-Cookies.com...(related: Holidays)