The traditions of St. Valentine’s Day mix elements of both ancient Roman rites and Christian tradition. To confuse matters, three different saints named Valentine are recognized by the Roman Catholic Church.

One legend states Valentine was a priest in Rome during the third century. Emperor Claudius II decreed that marriage was to be outlawed for young men, as he thought that single men made better soldiers than those who were married with families.

Valentine, felt the decree was unjust and unfair, and defied the Emperor by performing secret marriages for young lovers. When his actions for undercover lovers was discovered, Claudius ordered valentine be executed.

However, according to another legend, Valentine may have actually sent the first ‘valentine’ greeting himself. In 270 AD on the day before he was to be executed for refusing to renounce his Christian beliefs, he is said to have sent a note of appreciation to his jailer’s daughter for bringing him food and delivering messages while he was imprisoned, signed “from your Valentine.”

While we can never be certain as to the true origin of the St. Valentine legend, one thing is for sure, it must have been an appealing and enduring story because by the Middle Ages, Valentine had become one of the most popular saints in France and Britain.

The timing of Valentine’s day may have been driven by the practice of trying to integrate previous pagan festivals into the Christian calendar. in this case, the Lupercalia festival.

Lupercalia, which began on the ‘ides of February’, was a fertility festival dedicated to the agricultural god Lupercus and to the Goddess of Love, Juno, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. Roman maidens placed their names into an urn set up in the public squares and young single men drew from it to get a ‘blind date’ for the coming year. More often than not, these annual matches often ended in marriage.

St. Valentine’s Day was first set at February 14th by Pope Gelasius, around 500 AD. By this time, the ‘lottery’ system for romantic dating had deemed un-Christian and had been outlawed. During the Middle Ages, the practice of love lotteries carried on as ‘Chance Boxes’. In France, drawings from the boxes gave young couples one year to get married or part company. In England, it was a common practice for men to wear the name of the girl they drew from the chance boxes on their sleeve, enclosed within a heart.

Also during this period, it was commonly believed in parts of England and France that February 14 marked the beginning of birds’ mating season, which increased the notion that Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance.

Valentines messages started to appear around the beginning of the Fifteenth century, and even in these formative times they were often given anonymously.

The oldest known valentine in the world still in existence today was a romantic ode written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London after his capture during the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, was written in 1415, and is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London.

In the UK, St. Valentine’s Day became a popular celebration around the 1600’s. It continued to take hold, with the familiar “roses are red, violets are blue…” verses making their debut sometime in the seventeenth century. By the 1850’s, it was common for lovers from all social standings to give their adored ones small gifts or handwritten letters. At the same time, in France, people began to decorate their valentines with ribbons and lace.

By the start of the twentieth century, the handwritten letters gave way to cards as advances in printing technology had improved the quality of printed cards. At the time, it was culturally discouraged for people to show their emotions in such a direct way as a letter, so a printed card was a more acceptable method. More affordable postage costs and increasing use of the postal system probably contributed to the rise in popularity of the Valentine’s card.

Americans probably first began exchanging handmade valentines with verses in the early 1700s. In the mid nineteenth century, the first mass-produced valentines began to go on sale in America. Miss Esther Howland, an artist and entrepreneur, became the first regular publisher of valentines in the USA. Often referred to as ‘the Mother of the Valentine’, Miss Howland designed many elaborate creations using lace, ribbons and colourful pictures known as “scrap”. Her cards usually cost between $5 - $10 each, with some as much as $35, astonishingly expensive for the time.

The Greeting Card Association estimates that if we include children’s classroom valentines, over one billion valentine cards will be opened this year. St. Valentine’s Day is the second largest card-sending time of the year, accounting for 25% of all seasonal card sales (Christmas accounts for 60%).

It is estimated that women purchase 80 percent of all valentine’s cards, which means that a large proportion of men either forget, or aren’t very romantic when it comes to reciprocating! Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the USA, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, and Australia, and is increasing in popularity in many other parts of the world.

Facts about Valentine’s day cards (from the Greeting Card Association)

Approximately 25% of individual valentine cards are humorous, with adults aged 35-and-under being the most likely to send humorous cards.
Valentine’s Day is the largest e-card sending occasion of the year. An estimated 14 million e-valentines will be sent in 2008.
Greeting cards are traditionally the most popular Valentine’s Day gift in the U.S., ranking ahead of chocolates, flowers or dinner out.
American men may be more serious about Valentine’s Day than women. In a national survey for GCA in 2007, 45% of women said they were likely to give a humorous valentine to their sweetheart, compared to only 34% of men.
The percentage of individual valentines exchanged through the mail in comparison to hand delivery is approximately 50-50.
Red is the most popular color choice for valentine cards, follow by pink and then white. Hearts, roses, Cupid and lace are traditional valentine card icons.

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine’s Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first ‘valentine’ greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor’s daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed ‘From your Valentine,’ an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It’s no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial — which probably occurred around 270 A.D — others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to ‘christianize’ celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification.

The boys then sliced the goat’s hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood and took to the streets, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goathide strips. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day around 498 A.D. The Roman ‘lottery’ system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February — Valentine’s Day — should be a day for romance. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

In Great Britain, Valentine’s Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one’s feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine’s Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.

According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)

Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to the United States, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages (written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400), and the oldest known Valentine card is on display at the British Museum. The first commercial Valentine’s Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in the 1840s by Esther A. Howland. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as “scrap”.

It’s that time of the year again when Cupid goes into overtime! Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and so are the rushes for Valentines shopping. Flowers, chocolates, candles rule the roost. However, their time has passed. This Valentine, go an extra mile to show the women you love how much you care for her by thinking of something different.

Beauty and skin care form an important aspect in women’s lives. Pay tribute to her beauty and gift her with some amazing skin care products this Valentine’s.

Obagi ELASTIderm Décolletage System
If you have been with her when she noticed that first wrinkle or gasped in disbelief at the fine lines that have made place on her neck and chest, you know her despair. This Valentine… tell her that you care not only about her but also about what bothers her.

The ELASTIderm Décolletage System comprises of two of Obagi’s best anti-aging formulations that not only aid in reducing wrinkles and fine lines but also work at an intrinsic level to replenish the lowering levels of collagen and elastin fibers. Apart from that it keeps away other signs of aging like age spots, hyperpigmentation and photo-damage in the chest and neck areas where skin is fragile

With so much emphasis on facial skin care, the décolletage is often neglected. The Obagi ELASTIderm décolletage system is one of the very few products in the market that helps reduce the signs of aging like sagging skin, age spots and sun damage that appear in this area. Moreover, it stimulates the natural collagen and elastin production within the skin cells and improves the skins texture.

The System includes:
Obagi Skin Lightening Complex
It reduces hyperpigmentation, age spots and damage caused by sun exposure.

Obagi Wrinkle Reducing Lotion
It replenishes the lost elasticity of the skin and boosts collagen production in order to strengthen the skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.

iS Clinical Anti-Aging Kit
So, your girl is a traveler and is always on the run? Give her something that takes care of her skin care needs and is easy to carry while on the move. The iS Clinical Anti-Aging Kit is especially designed for travel purposes. It contains popular products from the iS Clinical line in small quantities that fits perfectly in a small travel pouch.

The kit includes:
iS Clinical Cleansing Complex (2 fl. oz.)
iS Clinical Active Serum (0.5 fl. oz.)
iS Clinical Youth Complex (0.33 fl. oz.)
iS Clinical SPF 25 Treatment Sunscreen Packets (5 )

Travel Case
Considering the small quantities of the products, it becomes a good way to try out the various products. So if you have heard her mentioning iS Clinical for a whileFree Reprint Articles, this is the best thing you can get her!

Obagi ELASTIderm Day and Night Set
Think her eyes are the most beautiful thing in this world? Tell her that and give her the Obagi ELASTIderm Day and Night Set so that her charismatic eyes stay the same forever and ever.

The set contains:
Obagi ELASTIderm Day Eye Gel
The gel contains a unique bi-mineral complex that cross-links the elastin fibers and boosts the production of collagen and elastin fibers. Thus the eye contours regain their youthful appearance and sparkle bright.

Obagi ELASTIderm Night Eye Cream
It is a crucial part of anti-aging skin care regimen of any women. It improves the skins elasticity and makes it firm and tight. It replenishes the lost collagen and elastin fibers and gives the eye contours a youthful look.

The set also contains a Travel foaming gel and Travel Healthy Skin SPF 35 Tube

There is something peculiar about the boys. They are ever playful and never grow up. After spending years with toy cars, video games and fast bikes, they grow up to earn money in tons, all to fulfill their dreams of buying some of their favorite gadgets. The following is some gifts that the boys would love.

• iPod - is one best gift you can get for boys, but chances are that most boys already have this one. So, you need to check before you buy this gift.

• Car Audio - If the boy has a car but with an outdated stereo system, you can think about gifting the latest car audio system, complete with DVD player and if possible a LCD display.

• Camcorders - Most guys already have a cell phone and most of these cell phones already arrive with puny built in cameras. The guy will definitely feel much better with a contemporary camcorder, something to capture the finer moments of life with better clarity than with a camera cell phone.

• Mp3/Video UV Sunglasses - This is another cool stuff that most guys crave for. Apart from getting protection for the eyes from dangerous ultraviolet radiation, guys can also enjoy the latest movies and mp3 in futuristic style.

• Mp4 Wrist watches - Although time is displayed in most electronic gadgets, there is nothing comparable to the old fashioned way of men having a gaze at their wrist watches. And with the Mp4 feature, guys can download movies and clips and watch it right on their wrists!

And if the guy is a weirdo kind and you really have no clues about what to gift him, then you can better present him a gift card so he can get whatever he likes.

There is something peculiar about the boys. They are ever playful and never grow up. After spending years with toy cars, video games and fast bikes, they grow up to earn money in tons, all to fulfill their dreams of buying some of their favorite gadgets. The following is some gifts that the boys would love.