Valentine’s Day is synonymous with romance, of course. But of the millions who celebrate the popular holiday for lovers each year, how many actually know the rich history behind it?
There are several competing theories on the origins of Valentine’s Day. Some say its beginnings can be found in the Middle Ages, when many believed that birds mated for life on Feb. 14. To commemorate the spirit of companionship, people would send love letters on that day.
Others say we owe our celebration to the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalia, a pagan fertility festival that was held in mid-February. On this day, women wrote love notes that were placed in an urn and randomly drawn by men, who would then pursue the note-writers and claim them as companions for the next year.
Early Christians preferred to associate the holiday with the saint of romantic causes, Saint Valentine. But there is some controversy regarding Saint Valentine: The Catholic Church recognizes at least three saints named Valentine or Valentinus.
The most popular candidate is a third century priest. Legend says he performed secret marriages against the orders of Emperor Claudius II, who forbade young men from marrying because he believed that single men were more likely to join the army.
As the story goes, Valentine was imprisoned for his misdeeds. He then fell in love with his jailer’s daughter and sent her a note signed “From Your Valentine” before he was executed in A.D. 270. A little more than 200 years later, Pope Gelasius officially recognized Feb. 14 in honor of Valentine, the patron saint of lovers.
Some say the tradition of sending Valentine greetings started in 1415 with a Frenchman named Charles, Duke of Orleans. Imprisoned in the Tower of London after the Battle of Agincourt, the duke reportedly passed time by writing romantic verses for his wife. By the 16th century, sending written expressions of affection on Valentine’s Day had become very common.
By the beginning of the 20th century, the giving of Valentines was accompanied with gifts of flowers and chocolates. The red rose and heart-shaped box of chocolates became synonymous with Valentine’s Day.
Now, more than $1 billion is spent annually on Valentine’s Day candy.
The National Confectioners Association estimates that more than 36 million candy hearts will be sold this year alone, the majority of them from Russell Stover, the leading producer of heart-shaped boxes of chocolate in the United States. Russell Stover also caters to the health conscious with assortments that are sugar-free and low in carbohydrates.

Not everybody is a great and big fan of Valentine's Day.Yet it is one day of the year, when people would love to choose gifts for their near and dear ones, especially to the ones who are very are close to their heart. I personally believe that these gifts need not have to be lavish or expensive. The most memorable gifts will be those which come from the heart. Here are a few gift idea suggestions that you can use.
Valentine Gift for your Lady
It is not necessary that you have to always present diamond jewelry to your lady love, even a bunch of flowers or a personalized card would be more than enough to make her fall in love with you over again.
You can simply re-decorate an old shoe box and fill it chocolates and candies, a gift coupon for spa, bath salts, lotions and creams. You can also add a few candles and dried flowers.
It is not necessary that you have to go out for dinner or book tickets for a romantic movie. Instead, you can pick up a bottle of wine/champagne, a fruit basket and some good food an Asian joint. Place them on the coffee table, watch a classical romantic movie on your DVD player and snuggle together on the couch with a blanket.
Another personalized gift that you can give is a personalized service tray with a good picture of you both. This along with a bunch of flowers would be a wonderful gift that you would always cherish.
You can also give coupons for spa and beauty treatment if you are not able to find an appropriate gift.
Unique Gift Ideas for your Gentleman
It is very difficult to find a gift for a man for Valentine's Day because most of the gifts are girlish and pink in color. If he is a lover of music you can gift the last music album of his favorite singer/musician.
A pack of handkerchiefs with his initials embroidered is also a good gift. With that you can also add his favorite deodorant or aftershave. This along with a loving message is a wonderful personalized gift.
If you are good at baking, bake his favorite cookies. Put this in a beautiful cookie jar and gift wrap it.
If you are in a serious about your relationship, 'A Gift of Togetherness' is also a valentine day gift idea. You and your partner can get away from the hustle and bustle of the everyday life. It will be a good opportunity to understand each others hobby interest and other likes and dislikes.
Last but not the least you can cook a delicious and sumptuous dinner for him. Bring out your best crockery and cutleries. A bottle of best wine, soft romantic music and candle light will do the trick.

For the uninitiated, Pepero Day is an observance in South Korea similar to Valentine's Day. It's named after the Korean Snack Pepero and its observed on November 11, with the date "11/11" resembling sticks of Pepero.
A popular notion is that the company Lotte who produces pepero was the one who started this observance. But popular legend has attributed to a group of middle school girls in Busan gifting each other boxes of Pepero as a wish to grow tall and slim. These days other than gifts among couples, teachers, friends gift pepero as a sign of friendship and love.
Like all things cute and trendy, it has since exploded into a whole cottage industry. On other days,regular pepero only cost 800-100 won per box, on pepero day you will find special gift boxes, and Lotte has also caught on to the trend by selling specially printed boxes of pepero for this day. These days bakeries, chocolatiers and even department stores have been getting in on the occasion with gourmet pepero. Some include Italian dark chocolate wrapped pepero, exotic flavours like macadamia nuts and even a giant size pepero!
Another popular trend much like on valentine's day, there has been an upsurge in home made Pepero sticks and decorations to give that added "awww" i love you factor. Crafty blogs on pepero decoration and gift wrapping with detailed instructions on how to make or buy decorations along with ideas on how to specially gift wrap your deco pepero sticks
Not to be left out, a recent trend among older couples to celebrate this occasions is to wrap rolls of money in Pepero boxes as a practical gift. This has become popular among husbands who don't want to be seen carrying large gift baskets of Pepero as a way to humour their wives.
Pepero games as also been a part of popular Korean culture, with mock pepero sword fights, to wands to cast spells a la Harry potter. The most infamous use maybe the pepero kiss game, a popular staple on Korean variety shows where a couple will put each end of the pepero stick in their mouths and eat toward each other trying to stop just before their lips touch.
For whatever the reason, whether its giving pepero to say you are number one in my heart,to show appreciation to a colleague,friend or teacher it has become a part of popular Korean culture.

Raymond - Personal Shopping Concierge
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The World’s Largest Valentine has nothing to do along with other chocolates, flowers or a romantic dinner. though these seem to be traditional elements of Cupid’s Day, this particular Valentine gets the prize reserved to the Top. Maybe, even, Over The Top.

Here seem to be some clues:

1. it's really 350 years old

2. It was built by a man to the woman he loved.

3. It took twenty two years and 20,000 men to complete.

4. it's really twenty four stories high.

5. It sits on a marble platform larger than a football field’s length squared.

6. it's really adorned along with other semiprecious jewels

7. it's really discovered in Agra, India.

Yes, the Taj Mahal is the World’s Largest Valentine.

In the 1600′s, Shah Jahan lost Mumtaz Mahal during the birth of their fourteenth child and his grief for his beloved wife of nineteen years was deep and real. during the mourning period he forbade color, dancing and even perfume in his sophisticated and ostentatious court.

Shah Jahan might have kept his feelings for Mumtaz locked in his heart. He might have abdicated. He might have replaced her through Another advantage queen. He did none of these. Instead, he boldly designed and had erected a mausoleum in her honor. It became known as Mumtaz’s Palace which, in Hindi, is Mumtaz’s Mahal, easily shortened to Taj Mahal.

This “building by Tiffany’s” reflects the flow, the grace, and the beauty of Mumtaz Mahal. He used the extremely sky at the rear of any mausoleum as an active and ever-changing backdrop for his masterpiece. Clouds, sunshine, and rain reflect varying light and color on the Taj Mahal’s white marble.

With deep feelings for Mumtaz, a well developed architectural ability, and his position as Emperor of a huge and nearly unimaginably wealthy empire, Shah Jahan was uniquely equipped Using the essentials making what has turn out to be his gift into the world. Never before had this particular combination been present.

It took wealth most of us cannot envision to have created a 24-story building covered along with other thick marble slabs, inlaid along with other artistically shaped precious stones, and abundant along with other lush carvings of plants and increasing flowers. The Taj Mahal is protected by four 145-foot minarets discovered at the corners of its marble platform And this itself is set between two identical buildings of red sandstone. It boasts waterways And this symmetrically dissect its lavish gardens and the whole complex is walled and finished along with other a huge gate and forecourt.

No wonder it took more than two decades to finish.

But it was finished and it stands today as a monument into the adore between a man and a woman.

It is the World’s Largest Valentine.

It is the Taj Mahal.


Orgin Of Valentine S Day


Each February, in areas on the world, friends exchange flowers, gifts, and candy in celebration of Valentine’s Day. The name of St. Valentine is known across the globe as a patron saint. Most of us however, don't already know the true origin of St. Valentine and the way this unique day came to be. What we do already know is that February is the month of romance. As we already know it today, St. Valentine’s Day contains elements of both ancient Roman and Christian traditions. The Catholic Church recognizes at the minimum three martyred saints names Valentine or

Valentineus.

One of those Well-liked legends states that Valentine was a priest that served in third century Rome. at the time, Emperor Claudius II declared that single males made superior soldiers than did those that had wives and youngsters and he outlawed marriage for all young men so that you can optimize his potential army of soldiers. Valentine immediately realized the injustice in this declaration and continued to complete marriages in secret ceremonies, And this was in direct defiance of Emperor Claudius II.

Upon Learning of Valentine’s actions, the Emperor immediately had him put to death.

There seem to be extra stories surrounding Valentine that suggest he was killed for seeking to help to Christians in escaping Roman prisons where they were usually tortured and beaten. If one particular legend holds true, Valentine himself sent The very first ever “valentine” greeting.

It is believed that Valentine fell in adore along with other a jailer’s daughter although in prison. The girl had visited Valentine in jail, during And this time Valentine fell deeply in adore along with other her. it's really thought that before his death, Valentine sent her a letter that he signed “From Your Valentine”.

By the time of Valentine’s death and next sainthood, he was Among the most Well-liked legends in England and France during the Middle Ages.

The early pastors of Roman Christian churches used St. Valentine’s Day as the day young men chose maidens in one the congregation as potential brides. now that that time there have been multiple traditions that have turn out to be an important part of Valentine’s Day. Cards, gifts, and the promise of

eternal adore seem to be the most Well-liked way that we express our feelings on this extremely unique day each and every year. at the United States, The very first commercially printed Valentine’s Day cards started appearing at the early 1800s. now that that time, Valentine’s Day has turn out to be a highly money making marketplace in And this millions of dollars seem to be spent each and every year.

While we adore and anticipate Valentine’s Day and the gifts we will give and receive, You should Always remember this extremely unique day originated along with other out gifts whatsoever, but rather an promise of eternal adore and happiness that price nothing at all.

from: http://plrplr.com/44285/orgin-of-valentine-s-day