Although it seems that nobody knows the exact origin of Valentine's Day, what is known is a conglomerate of stories that give us insight into the background of this romantic day. We know that Valentine's Day has its roots in both Roman tradition and Christian tradition. The Catholic Church recognizes three different saints who were martyred in the name of love and romance.

One legend tells of Valentine, a priest who served in Rome during the third century. Emperor Claudius II, who was in need of a larger army, outlawed marriage for young, single men because he thought that the best soldier was a single soldier. Valentine, who could not stand for this injustice, went against Claudius' orders and continued secretly to perform marriages for young lovers. When Claudius found out that Valentine was defying him, orders were sent out that Valentine should be put to death.

Another legend holds that Valentine was killed for trying to help Christians escape torturous Roman prisons.

The third story claims that while in prison, Valentine was the first to send an actual written valentine. It is said that he fell in love with the prison guard's daughter who frequently took time to visit him. Before he died, he wrote her a letter and in closing wrote, "From your Valentine." In third-century Rome, Pagans honored Juno, the queen of the Roman gods and goddesses, on February 14. Juno also was considered to be the goddess of women and marriage. The following day, the Romans began the Feast of Lupercalia -- a fertility festival held to honor other gods and goddesses, especially Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture and Lupercus, who watched over the shepherds and their flocks and keep them from the wolves. Roman priests would sacrifice a goat for fertility and a dog for purification. Young men would slice the goat's hide into strips, dip them in sacrificial blood and go out to gently slap both women and crops with the strips. The women wanted to be touched with the hide because they believed it would make them more fertile during the next year. Afterward, the young men would pick a young woman's name from an urn. The couple would spend time together throughout the following year and often the random pairing led to love and marriage.

In 498 A.D., this Roman version of "Love Connection" was considered un-Christian by Pope Gelasius. He declared February 14 as Valentine's Day because he wanted to steer away from the Pagan ritual, including honoring its god, Lupercus. Saint Valentine was the obvious choice for a patron saint of love. Gelasius decided that a change to the lottery also was in order and insisted that instead of young women's names, the names of saints would be placed in the urn. Women as well as men now would choose the name of a saint. Throughout the year, they were to emulate the ways of their chosen saint.

People in Europe believed that Valentine's Day is in February because the 14th is the beginning of birds' mating season, and therefore, a day for romance.

We currently celebrate Valentine's Day by honoring those we love with gifts and valentine greeting cards.

Americans began to exchange hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. The first mass-produced valentines in the U.S. were made around 1835 by a Mount Holyoke College student named Esther A. Howland. Her father, who owned a stationary store, imported valentines from England, but she wanted something more personal. She imported fancy paper and lace and employed assistants to help her in her enterprise. Howland's "Worchester" valentines were a success as sales amounted to about $100,000 annually.

Rose Color Guide

Red of any hue Love, respect and desire.
Deep red Imply unconscious beauty.
White These signify spiritual love and purity, true love, secrecy and reverence. Also, "I'm worthy of your love."
Bridal white Happy love.
Yellow Today they mean joy, freedom, gladness and friendship. Historically, they meant a decrease of love, jealousy and infidelity.
Coral Desire.
Moss Confessions of love.
Black Death, hate and farewell.
Peach This color symbolizes sweetness, gratitude, appreciation, admiration, sympathy and, "Please believe me."
Orange Fascination and enthusiasm.
Lavender Enchantment, love at first sight, uniqueness.
Light pink Imply grace, a sweetheart, gladness, gentility, joy and admiration.
Dark pink Thankfulness.
Pale-colored A symbol of friendship.
Rose leaf This says to the receiver, "You may hope."

Rose Varieties Guide

Austrian You are all that is lovely.
Carolina Love is dangerous.
China Beauty always is new.
York and Lancaster Conflict.
Japan Beauty is your only attraction; Illusion.
Wild Charming simplicity.
Full-blown Engagement.
Half-blown Timid love.
Thornless Love at first sight, Ingratitude.
Rosebud Beauty, youth, a heart innocent of love. Rosebud, red Inclined to love, pure and lovely.
Rosebud, white Too young to love.

Rose Combinations and their Meanings

A single rose Simplicity.
Two roses joined together A symbol of engagement.
A dozen roses The ultimate declaration of love.
Red and white roses together Unity.
Red and yellow Happy Feelings.
Red and yellow roses together These offer congratulations.
Yellow and orange roses together These imply passionate thoughts.
Full blown rose over two buds Secrecy.
Rosebud with leaves but no thorns "I fear no longer; I hope."
Rosebud with neither leaves nor thorns "There is nothing to hope or fear."
Almond Blossom As a symbol of hope, sweetness, delicacy.
Anenome Withered hopes, a dying love.
Abor Vitae Unchanging friendship.

Other Flower Meanings

Bleeding Heart A symbol of undying love. The petals of this perennial flower are slightly united into flattened, heart-shaped, or spurred corollas. Its colors are yellow, white, or red, pink or ivory and it blooms in the Spring.
Camelia, white A symbol of loveliness.
Candy-Tuff Indifference.
Carnation, deep red Alas! for my poor heart.
Carnation, white A symbol of disdain.
China-Aster Variety.
Clover, four-leaf One offers this to ask, "Be mine."
Clover, white Think of me.
Clover, red A symbol of industry.
Columbine A symbol of folly.
Columbine, purple This means, "resolved to win."
Daisy A symbol of innocence.
Dead leaves Sadness.
Deadly Nightshade A symbol of falsehood.
Fern Fascination.
Forget-me-not As a symbol of true love. This also simply means, "forget me not."
Fuchsia, scarlet Taste.
Geranium, scarlet This selection offers consolation.
Geranium, rose A symbol of preference.
Goldenrod This says to the receiver: "Be cautious."
Heliotrope A symbol of devotion.
Honey-Flower Love, sweet and secret.
Hyacinth, white Unobtrusive loveliness.
Ivy A symbol of fidelity.
Lady's slipper Win me and wear me.
Lily, Day A symbol of coquetry.
Lily, white A symbol of purity and sweetness.
Lily, yellow A symbol of falsehood or gaiety.
Lily of the Valley This symbolizes the return of happiness.
Mignonette This says, "Your qualities surpass your charms."
Monkshead Danger is near.
Myrtle A symbol of love.
Oats The witching soul of music.
Orange Blossom Chastity.
Pansy Symbolizes one's thoughts.
Passion flower Faith.
Peach Blossom This says, "I am your captive."
Pear A symbol of affection. Periwinkle
As a symbol of early friendship (blue), happy memories (white). Poppy
As a symbol of fantastic extravagance (scarlet), consolation (red). If the love is faithful, placing a petal in the palm of the hand and hitting it with a fist should produce a popping sound.
Primrose Inconstancy.
Quaking Grass A symbol of agitation.
Rose As a symbol of love, pure and lovely (red rose buds), jealousy (yellow). See the listing for rose color symbols for more meanings.
Shamrock A symbol of lightheartedness.
Snowdrop A symbol of hope, consolation. The flower is thought mythologically to have been a snowflake which was transformed to comfort Adam and Eve after they had been expelled from the Garden of Eden.
Straw This symbolizes agreement if it is intact, a broken agreement if it is broken.
Sunflower As a symbol of the sun, and also haughtiness.
Tuberose Dangerous pleasures.
Tulip As a symbol of powerful love being declared (red), hopeless love (yellow). The heart burning symbolically like a flame.
Verbena This says, "Pray for me."

Carnation Colors

Pink These have the most symbolic and historical significance. According to Christian legend, carnations first appeared as Jesus Christ carried the Cross. The places where Mary's tears fell as she cried for her son's death were spots where carnations grew. The pink carnation became the symbol of a mother's love and in 1907 was chosen as the emblem of Mother's Day.

Purple Indicates capriciousness.
Light Red These symbolize admiration.
Dark Red Deep love and affection.
Striped A symbol of regret that a love cannot be shared.
White Indicate pure love and good luck.

Aphrodisiacs

For thousands of years, certain foods and drinks have been known to have qualities that contribute to the increase of sexual desire and improvement of sexual performance. The reliability of these foods and drinks, called aphrodisiacs, has been both challenged and heralded.
Named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexual love and beauty, the list of aphrodisiacs includes such foods as celery, garlic and fennel, among many others. Aphrodite was said to be born from the sea. That's why many types of seafood also are considered to be aphrodisiacs. Oysters perhaps are the most well known of all -- they contain high amounts of zinc that improve the sex drive.
The Food and Drug Administration in 1989 declared that there was no scientific proof that aphrodisiacs affect sex drive. It is reasoned, however, that because some foods known to be aphrodisiacs affect the body by increasing things like heart rate, they are thought to directly affect sexual desire. Perhaps they work as a placebo. The mind itself can be a powerful aphrodisiac!
Here is a list of foods that are considered to be aphrodisiacs. Try your own experiment on the effectiveness of aphrodisiacs by adding them to some dishes this Valentine's Day.

Foods

Caviar
Sturgeon eggs contain a large amount of vitamins and phosphorous. Try caviar with vodka for a real experience!

Celery
Celery has a long history of use as an aphrodisiac. It contains vitamins A, C, B, P and minerals. It is excellent for the muscles and liquefies the blood. But most celebrated as an aphrodisiac are the celery seeds. Crush them to spice bread or an oil-vinegar salad dressing.

Clove
One of the most powerful natural aphrodisiacs. It is also effective against mental and physical fatigue as well as memory loss. In essence form, take two or three drops in honey every day.

Fennel
Greeks and Hindus are those who believe that fennel is good for sex drive. The Greeks used the leaves and seeds in dishes and wore the leaves as crowns during festivities.

Ginger
For thousands of years, ginger has been used in drinks to excite the senses. If used in small amounts, it causes hot flushes and in large amounts, it irritates intestines.

Ginseng
This plant is a very powerful hormonal stimulant. It is reported that ginseng gives people enough sexual energy to last quite a while.

Nutmeg
While nutmeg is not as effective on women, its powers definitely are not wasted on men.

Chili
With a large amount of vitamin C, red, green and Cayenne pepper chilies stimulate circulation, which is why it is considered to be a potent aphrodisiac.

Chickpeas
For men, chickpeas are a powerful aphrodisiac. Hummus, anyone?

Horseradish
It is said that horseradish pulp has aphrodisiac properties.

Saffron
While excessive doses causes uncontrollable laughter, saffron, the stigmas of the crocus flower, can be fun in other ways! It has stimulating properties on the erogenous zones and it has similar effects to that of hormones.

Vanilla
Vanilla's scent alone indirectly acts as a sexual stimulant. The bean itself can be used in recipes in hot chocolate as a great aphrodisiac. Add a couple drops of vanilla essence (extracted from real vanilla beans) to your bath for a pleasurable effect.

Asparagus
It has been reported that asparagus turns women off as much as it turns men on. It is a diuretic -- this stimulation for men is one reason why it is called an aphrodisiac. Another? Just look at it!

Walnuts
Ancient Romans threw walnuts instead of rice at weddings because they believed that walnuts held powers of fertility.

Grapes
Wine is not the only form in which grapes can hold aphrodisiac properties. Even unfermented grapes are thought to have stimulating properties.

Oysters
Probably the most well known of all aphrodisiacs, oysters are a healthy food that are rich in phosphorus, iodine and zinc, which is known to increase the sexual health of both men and women. Legend holds that Casanova ate 50 raw oysters every morning with the lady du jour. Chardonnay is a good match with oysters.

How do I say I love you? Let me list the ways!

English: I love you
French: Je t'aime
Spanish: Te amo
German: Ich liebe dich
Italian: Ti amo
Hebrew: Ani Ohev Otakh
Russian: Ya lyublyu tyebya
Irish: Thaim in grabh leat
Japanese: Ai shite imasu
Chinese: Wo ai ni
Swedish: Jag alskar dig
Catalan: Testimo molt
Maltese: Jien inhobbok
Hungarian: Se ret lay,
Finnish: Mina rakkastan sinua
Turkish: Seni seviyorum
Persian: Du stet daram
Albanian: Une te dua
Polish: Ja cie kocham
Portugese: Eu te amo
Tagalog: Mahal Kita
Korean: Sarang hae
Eskimo: Nagligivaget
Vietnamese: Anh Yu em
Danish: Jeg elsker dig
Icelandic: Eg elska pig
Hawaiian: Aloha wau la oe
Greek: s'agapo
Sango: M'bi ye mo

St Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. Chapter 13, verses 1-7:

"If I speak in tongues of men and angels, and have not love, I am noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
And if I give away all I have and if I deliver my body to be burnt, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude.
Love does not insist on its way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things. Love never ends...Three things endure: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Love Quotes

It’s not enough to conquer, one must know how to seduce. --Voltaire

Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it. -- Anonymous

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." -- Aristotle

"Love is something eternal; the aspect may change, but not the essence." -- Vincent Van Gogh

"Pains of love be sweeter far. Than all other pleasures are." -- Jon Dryden

"Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread, re-made all the time, made new." -- Ursula K. Le Guin

"A man is not where he lives, but where he loves." -- Latin Proverb

"If I know what love is, it is because of you." -- Herman Hesse

"There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved." -- George Sands

"Love and you will be loved, and you will be able to do all that you could not do unloved." -- Marques de Santillana

Too much of a good thing can be wonderful. --Mae West

Love is a great beautifier. ~Louisa May Alcott

Love is many things. But more than anything, it is a disturbance of the digestive system. ~ Gabriel Garcia Marquez

At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet. ~Plato :)

If two people love each other, there can be no happy end to it. ~Ernest Hemingway

The course of true love never did run smooth. ~Shakespeare

Take away love and our earth is a tomb. ~Robert Browning

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