Valentines Day is February 14. 
This day is set aside for exchanges of love
with sweethearts, friends and family.

Expressions of love such as Valentine Day greeting cards, boxes of chocolates,

flowers, presents or special events mark the occasion.

A Frenchman, Charles, Duke of Orleans is credited with writing the first Valentine.
He was captured by the English during the battle of Agincourt in 1415. On Valentine's Day he sent his wife a rhyming love letter from the tower of London, where he was imprisoned.

There are different ideas as to where or how the celebration of  Valentine's Day began. 
The Roman's celebrated a festival called Lupercalia on February 15. This festival was held to ward off the danger of wolves to their flocks and honored their God Lupercalia. This is one idea. The Christian Church had two Saints named Valentine and two other ideas center around them. The Roman Emperor, Claudius the II forbade young men to marry in 200 A.D. He believed single men made better soldiers, free of family concerns. A priest named Valentine disobeyed the Emperor and married couples in secret. The next Saint Valentine was a lover of children but, was imprisoned when he would not honor other gods. The children missed him and wrote messages of affection to him. They threw their notes through the bars of his cell. This may have been the beginning of exchanging messages. He was executed on February 14, 269 A.D. Pope Gelasius in 496 A.D. named February 14th, Valentine's Day, after him. The fourth idea concerning the celebration of Valentine's Day is based on the belief that birds or fowl pick their mates on February 14th. It was believed love birds in particular, chose this day to begin mating.

Today, people exchange cards with symbols of love and affection on them. Children and adults use various colors of printer paper to make distinct handmade cards for special people in their life. Glitter, markers and pictures can add special sparkle to any card. Many people like to place these cards in strange spots for their loved one to find, like in a refrigerator, on a mirror, on a computer or on a pillow.

The modern day celebration of Valentine's Day seems to have begun in France and England.  On Valentines Eve young people would gather and pick names becoming a valentine to whose ever name they chose.

Cupid, Doves, Love Birds, Roses, Hearts and Arrows are all symbols of the Valentine's Day Holiday.
Cupid was the symbol for the Roman God of Love.

Valentine's Day Kids
 Five Question Quiz

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