February is the shortest month of the year and packs as much as possible in the time allowed.
Black history month is celebrated as well as Charles Dickens day. February 2nd is Groundhog Day and Mardi Gras is the big happening in New Orleans.
Several famous birthdays are in February; Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, George Washington and last, but not least, my brother Trey. In 1930 the planet Pluto was discovered and this year is a leap year. Even with all this February is most widely know for the 14th, bring on the chocolate because Valentine’s Day is here!
Every year Valentine’s Day is known and accepted as the day to exchange flowers, candy and other special gifts with loved ones. So, why do we celebrate and who exactly is this St. Valentine that inspires such feelings of love? We all know I like to know the whys and hows of things so let's dig a little deeper into the origins of Valentine’s Day and see why we do the things we do.
There are many legends about Valentine’s Day but my personal favorite is about a young priest named Valentine who served during the third century in Rome. To strengthen his army Emperor Claudius II decided that men who had wives and family did not make a truly dedicated soldier so he passed a law forbidding young men from getting married. Valentine was outraged by this injustice and in defiance continued to perform marriages in secret for young lovers. When discovered, Claudius ordered that Valentine be put to death. While in prison awaiting his execution, Valentine fell in love with the jailors daughter. Before his death he wrote a final letter to her declaring his love and signed the letter "From Your Valentine" providing us with a sentiment that has long outlived him. Here we have a lover that gives us an everlasting symbol of a heroic and romantic figure. His death occurred in the middle of February and that is why we celebrate Valentine’s Day on the 14th.
In America it is believed that we began exchanging valentines that were written or made by hand in the early 1700's. In the 1840's a lady by the name of Ester A. Howland began to sell the first mass produced valentines and the commercial market has grown from there. Valentine’s Day is also one of the largest card sending holidays of the year with an estimated one billion cards sent. Christmas is number one with over two billion cards sent to family and friends.
My first memory of sending Valentine Day cards is in elementary school when the entire class would exchange cards. To this day I'm still not sure which one I enjoyed the most, getting the cards or picking out the cards to give. As adults the giving is a bit more elaborate and romance is often a large part of the celebration. The day is not totally for couples only and exchanging cards and gifts among family and friends is appreciated as well. Even if you are single don't ignore the day, pamper yourself with something special, a day at the spa or a bubble bath with a glass of champagne. What ever you choose to do, have a happy Valentine’s Day!
See ya next month!
Kathy
Questions or comments? Contact Kathy anytime.
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February is the shortest month of the year and packs as much as possible in the time allowed.