Happy Valentine’s Day

Today is a day when we openly express sentiments and affection for someone special, and whether we share a moment, or the day, with one, two, or a host of family or friends, or even alone, there are endless ways to acknowledge love.

Perhaps you are enjoying a romantic dinner. If so, then as the song goes, “love the one you’re with.”

And if you are alone, look out the window, and  for a moment, love nature, and realize that you are connected to and a part of it, so be heap a little appreciation and love on  yourself.

Put a little red on an animal family member…….

Then kiss that family member on the nose. They will love it, and you will feel loved back. Love comes in so many forms.

Make a bold statement, that loves lives here. Go ahead. Be brave and paint that door red.

Here are a few interesting facts about Valentine’s Day that you might find interesting:

The most popular theory about Valentine’s Day origin is that Emperor Claudius II didn’t want Roman men to marry during wartime. Bishop Valentine went against his wishes and performed secret weddings. For this, Valentine was jailed and executed. While in jail he wrote a note to the jailor’s daugter signing it “from your Valentine”.

In Victorian times it was considered bad luck to sign a Valentine’s Day card.

Based on retail statistics, about 3 per cent of pet owners will give Valentine’s Day gifts to their pets.

About 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year. This makes it the second largest seasonal card sending time of the year

you could pop over to Finland where Valentine’s Day is called Ystävänpäivä, which translates into “Friend’s day”. It’s more about remembering your buddies than your loved ones.

Many believe the X symbol became synonymous with the kiss in medieval times. People who couldn’t write their names signed in front of a witness with an X. The X was then kissed to show their sincerity.   XOXO

In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who would be their Valentine. They would wear this name pinned onto their sleeves for one week for everyone to see. This was the origin of the expression “to wear your heart on your sleeve.”

In 1537, England’s King Henry VII officially declared Feb. 14 the holiday of St. Valentine’s Day. That makes it a pretty old holiday!

Physicians of the 1800s commonly advised their patients to eat chocolate to calm their pining for lost love. Some things never change! 

Richard Cadbury produced the first box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day in the late 1800s.

More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine’s Day. Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine’s Day just in the U.S.

73 percent of people who buy flowers for Valentine’s Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.

15 percent of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day. I am surprised by that, but heh why not?

Over 50 percent of all Valentine’s Day cards are purchased in the six days prior to the holiday, making Valentine’s Day a procrastinator’s delight.

The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Thus it’s association for the power of love. 

189 million stems of roses are sold in the U.S. on Valentine’s Day.

Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines day gifts

Teachers will receive the most Valentine’s Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, sweethearts and pets.

220,000 is the average number of wedding proposals on Valentine’s Day each year.

source:http://list25.com/25-interesting-facts-valentines-day/5/

I wish you love, in whatever form makes you feel joy, today & always. charisse