ROMANTIC

• HISTORY OF VALENTINE

Valentine's Day celebration dates back to the ancient times when the 'Feast of Lupercal' was celebrated in the honour of the Roman God of Fertility. This day falls on the 15th of February every year. According to a time worn custom, on the eve of Lupercalia (14th of Feb) a ritual of 'name drawing' was followed, during which a young man drew the name of a girl from the lot, who was to be his sweetheart for the whole year. Romance, has, of course always made the world go round but we must say that these Romans knew how to make it official. Since then, this day (14th of Feb) has been considered as the day of Cupid, the mischievous son of Venus -the Roman Goddess of Love. Lovers through the ages have taken this day as their own - a day to celebrate the finest human emotion. The reason for celebration is ageless, but it was much later that a great lover gave the day his name. The eternal lover that gave us the famous word 'Valentine' and originated the tradition of writing love letters on this day, is believed to be Bishop Valentine. He was a priest in Rome when, the city was ruled by 'Claudius the Cruel'. Inspite of the fact that Claudius had forbidden Christian conversions and Christian marriages, the Bishop refused to surrender to Roman Gods and carried on his religious duties in secret. He was imprisoned for disobedience, but even in prison he converted the convicts. While he was in prison, the jailer's daughter became his friend and was loyal to him through his ordeal. When Claudius came to know that imprisonment had not broken his enduring Christian spirit, the bishop was executed. However, on the day of his death Valentine wrote a note to his friend, 'the jailer's daughter' and signed it - 'From Your Valentine'. This great man who died for his beliefs, for his enduring love of the Christian God, was chosen as the patron Saint of lovers. 14th February has since been celebrated as Valentine's Day. Romantic souls all over the world have preferred to focus on the romantic twist of this tale, the story of the man who united lovers in the holy bond of marriage; a man who loved his jailer's daughter and started the tradition of writing love notes.

• QUOTES

1)Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.

2)Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.

3)If you have it [Love], you don't need to have anything else, and if you don't have it, it doesn't matter much what else you have.

4)Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.

5)True love comes quietly, without banners or flashing lights. If you hear bells, get your ears checked.

6)Like the measles, love is most dangerous when it comes late in life.

7)Love: Two minds without a single thought.

8)You don't marry someone you can live with - you marry the person who you cannot live without.

9)Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get, it's what you are expected to give -- which is everything.

10)If you love somebody, let them go. If they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were.

11)If you love somebody, let them go. If they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were.

12)If you love somebody, let them go. If they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were.

14)Love is our response to our highest values. Love is self-enjoyment. The noblest love is born out of admiration of another's values.

• Valentines Day poem:

Let us all gather round and cheer,With a drink of wine or an ice cold beer Perhaps you're like me and don't drink the swill,Or your like my grandparents who live on pills.

Maybe this world seems harsh at times,Or its just that most of us just like to whine. I'd say that this is a great place to be,It all depends on how we can see.

True we've had bad things in the past,But we know in our hearts that these will not last. If we try our best to be simple and pure,There's nothing our hopes and dreams cannot cure.

So, I don't know the value this is worth,But lets all try to be happy and heal Mother Earth! Happy Valentine's Day!

• Valentine Jokes

1)A guy walks into a post office one day to see a middle-aged, balding man standing at the counter methodically placing "Love" stamps on bright pink envelopes with hearts all over them. He then takes out a perfume bottle and starts spraying scent all over them.
His curiosity getting the better of him, he goes up to the balding man and asks him what he is doing. The man says, "I'm sending out one thousand Valentine cards signed, 'Guess who?'"
"But why?" asks the man.
"I'm a divorce lawyer," the man replies.

• Valentine Recipe

Lemon Hearts1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter or margarine, softened 1 cup sugar 1 egg yolk 3 tsp. grated lemon peel 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup ground blanched almonds About 20 candied cherries cut in half Let us take you through the tested and tried route - the gastrointestinal highway; from the stomach to the heart. For all those who 'will' but aren't sure of the 'way' and are afraid that it will be 'tasted and died route'; here are step by step instructions for even the most amateur cooks. These mouthwatering recipes are guaranteed to tickle those palates. Give your loved ones their just deserts - it's easy, fun and filling. 1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter or margarine, softened 1 cup sugar 1 egg yolk 3 tsp. grated lemon peel 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup ground blanched almonds About 20 candied cherries cut in half Beat butter and the cup of sugar until creamy; beat in egg yolk and lemon peel. Then gradually add flour, blend thoroughly and stir in almonds. Gather dough into a ball with your hands. On a lightly floured board, roll out dough to a thickness of1/4 inch. Cut out with a 2 to 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter; transfer cookies to greased baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with sugar. Press in half a cherry in center of each cookie. Bake in a 325~ oven for about 20 minutes or until edges are golden. Transfer to racks and let cool completely. Store airtight. Makes about 3-1/2 dozen.

• SYMBOL OF LOVE

Roses

'Oh, my love is a red, red rose' ~ Poets and scholars have likened the beauty of their sweethearts to that of roses. Rose, as the queen of flowers, symbolizes peace and war, love and forgiveness. Valentine's Day is a time to send flowers and gifts to your loved ones but beware! Some of these beautiful messengers may transmit wrong messages. Take the most common flowers, roses for instance. There are formal meanings of different coloured roses in some cultures. Each of these meanings is still used in society today, so choose your colour with care. White roses are for true love and purity of the mind.Red roses are for love and passion.Yellow roses are for friendship.Black roses mean farewell.Pink roses mean friendship or sweetheart. » CupidCupid, the mischievous son of the Goddess of Love, Venus, is supposedly responsible for people falling in love. According to the myths, anyone being hit by Cupid's arrow falls in love with the first person he/she sees. His mischievous intentions have led to some entertaining situations in various legends. Cupid in the Roman mythology has Eros, the son of Aphrodite, as his counterpart in the Greek Myths. The names of both these Gods are used synonymously with the concept of love today.

» Love Knot

Young women in strict Muslim households used to send their pledges of love to young men through messages woven through the knots of a carpet in an Arab tradition. This tradition of sending messages through the knots gave birth to the concept of love knots that continues to this day.»

Valentine Hearts

To a beloved, there is no symbol as important as the heart. To give someone one's heart means to give to him or her one's whole being, for the heart is at the center of one's existence. The heart stands for the most profound and noblest of human emotions- that of love. Through ages, it has inspired millions to rise above the mundane cares and to get lost in the thought of their beloved. Thus a heart, pierced by the cupid's arrow, has become the most famous of the valentine's symbols.

Love Birds and Doves

It was believed that on this romantic day, birds found their mates. This belief is still cherished by love struck people all over the world. The sweet little blue coloured lovebirds have come to signify that belief. It is said that the lovebirds can't live without their mates. Dove, in the Christian belief signifies purity, meekness and innocence. Hence, these two birds have become the most endearing symbols of the spirit of valentine day.