It’s
the
time
or
year
to
celebrate
all
things
connected
to
love,
romance,
and
the
color
red.
Let’s
face
it,
when
it
comes
to
Valentine’s
Day,
love
is
in
the
air.
Couples
go
out
to
dinner
(and
some
even
dance),
while
red
flowers
brighten
the
tables
and
hearts
of
millions
of
lovers.
Yes,
it
seems
that
Valentine’s
Day
is
all
about
matters
of
the
heart.
Are
you
a
romantic?
If
you
are,
then
you
are
probably
already
planning
something
special
for
Valentine’s
Day.
If
you’re
not,
hurry
up
and
get
with
the
program.
This
is
the
big
day
for
all
matters
of
the
heart.
Now’s
the
time
to
buy
that
diamond,
make
those
reservations,
order
those
flowers,
and
get
ready
to
express
yourself.
Even
the
children
get
in
on
the
act.
Kids
everywhere
will
be
taking
those
cute
Valentine
cards
to
school,
making
hearts
out
of
red
construction
paper
for
their
parents,
and
looking
forward
to
all
those
fun,
little
candy
hearts
that
say,
“Be
Mine”
or
“I
Love
You.”
Are
you
seeing
red
yet?
Valentine’s
Day
is
the
time
to
give,
receive,
and
wear
all
things
red–roses,
cars,
rubies,
nail
polish,
etc.
Celebrating
this
universal
love
day
has
become
the
big
red
day,
when
all
things
romantic
are
the
color
red.
Tens
of
millions
of
dollars
are
spent
worldwide
on
red
roses,
little
red
boxes
of
candy,
and
Valentine
cards.
Research
has
revealed
that
most
women
who
wear
nail
polish
switch
to
red
around
Valentine’s
Day.
This
is
not
some
silly,
fabricated
Hallmark
holiday.
The
story
actually
begins
around
the
fifth
century
in
Rome,
when
mid‑February
marked
the
annual
Lupercalian
festival,
held
in
honor
of
the
God
of
Fertility.
This
was
one
huge
pagan
festival
of
sensual
pleasure.
It
was
the
season
to
fall
in
love
and
marry,
but
many
of
those
Romans
who
fell
in
love,
didn’t
marry.
It
was
just
a
whole
lot
of
loving,
wining
and
dining.
Unfortunately,
when
Claudius
II
became
emperor,
the
party
ended.
Claudius
II
believed
that
romance
and
marriage
(and
all
the
fun
that
goes
with
it)
needed
to
stop.
He
didn’t
like
festivals.
He
was
suspicious
of
love
(paranoid).
He
had
the
notion
that
marriage
was
weakening
men
(ridiculous),
and
in
order
to
assure
that
his
soldiers
would
be
strong,
he
banned
marriage.
He
was
a
crazy
man.
How
cruel
for
lovers
everywhere.
Romans
suffered
greatly
the
moment
that
Claudius
II
came
into
power.
A
brave
bishop
named
Valentine
could
see
the
trauma
of
young
couples.
He
started
meeting
lovers
in
secret
places,
performing
the
sacraments
of
matrimony.
He
believed
in
the
freedom
to
love
and
the
blessings
of
marriage,
so
he
risked
the
wrath
of
Claudius
II.
Eventually,
the
mad
emperor
learned
of
Valentine
and
had
him
arrested.
Charging
him
with
the
dreadful
crime
of
being
a
“friend
of
lovers,”
Claudius
II
insisted
that
Valentine
stop
marrying
couples
and
start
worshiping
Roman
gods,
or
Valentine
would
be
executed.
Valentine
was
a
man
of
principles
and
faith.
He
would
not
be
swayed
by
Claudius
II
and
was
sent
to
prison
to
await
his
fate.
While
there,
Valentine
fell
in
love
with
his
jailer’s
daughter,
Asterius.
Just
before
Valentine’s
execution,
he
wrote
a
heartfelt
love
letter
to
Asterius
and
signed
it,
“Be
mine
...
your
Valentine.”
Centuries
later,
his
message
still
lives
on
in
all
those
little
heart‑shaped
candies
with
“be
mine”
etched
on
them.
Valentine
was
the
keeper
of
the
keys
to
love–he
died
for
it!
Was
he
a
hopeless
romantic
or
a
man
of
conviction?
You
decide.
Maybe
that’s
what
Valentine’s
Day
is
really
about–undying
love.
It’s
not
the
candy,
but
the
sweetness
of
romance
that
it
celebrates.
What
difference
does
a
rose
make
if
you
don’t
love
the
person
who
sends
them?
And
why
not
wear
red–that
brazen
flash
of
color
that
shouts
out
that
our
love
will
not
be
secret,
quiet,
or
go
unnoticed.
Red
is
like
Valentine;
it
cannot
be
subdued.
The
man
who
died
for
his
passion,
was
later
made
a
saint.
This
brings
us
to
Saint
Valentine’s
Day–the
greatest
love
fest
of
all
time.
Go
on,
wear
something
red
this
Valentine’s
Day.
Sip
champagne.
Send
someone
red
roses.
Be
romantic.
Eat
candy.
Best
of
all,
make
someone
special
feel
great
by
signing
a
card
with
those
romantic.
Eat
candy.
Best
of
all,
make
someone
special
feel
great
by
signing
a
card
with
those
famous
words,
“Be
mine
...
your
Valentine.”
