Valentine's Day conjures up images of romance - a dozen roses, dinner by candlelight, a heart-shaped box of chocolates. One can scarcely think of the holiday though, without thinking of Cupid with his bow and quiver of arrows, poised to strike romance into unsuspecting hearts. Angel lore says that if you're stricken by this playful cherub's arrow (often depicted with a tip in the form of a heart) you'll instantly fall in love with the next person you see.
Cupid was a popular subject on the Victorian's extravagantly decorated valentines, and is still much in demand on today's current Hallmark cards. It seems that there are enduring themes surrounding this beloved holiday. There are playful cards from school days relying heavily on puns to get their message across, such as a dutch boy and girl with the caption, "Wooden shoe by my Valentine?" There are cards with a light touch, such as a cute animal couple shown in a variety of situations accompanied by a breezy verse. Then there are the all-out romantic cards with hearts and lacy flourishes, often showing the Angel of the Hour himself, Cupid.
He's usually depicted as a cherubic figure with smallish wings and curly golden hair. Perhaps he's dressed in a wisp of sashing, or his leg may be strategically positioned to hide his sex. There's no mistaking his identity; however, because he always has his bow and arrows with him! If he doesn't, then the card is illustrated with a cherub, but not Cupid.
Cupid has his origins in Roman mythology as the god of love and sex. Though there are varying accounts of who his parents were, it's generally believed that his mother was Venus. He's usually portrayed as a mischievous sprite with a sense of humor when it comes to making romantic matches. Should you find yourself in an unlikely romance this Valentine's Day - or are sitting on the sidelines waiting for love to strike - think of Cupid!
Sue A. Richardson is owner of [http://www.giving-angels.com]Giving Angels, an online store which offers angel gifts, as well as items with animal and nature, peace, and celestial sun, moon, and star themes. In addition, you'll find a wealth of angel lore, angel recipes, and resources to nurture your spirit. A portion of every item sold (whether or not it's an angel) is donated to charity.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
History and Meaning of Valentine’s Gifts
“Love from your Valentine”, this was the message that was once passed by a very brave Christian martyr who gave his life for love. And he didn’t give it for his own love but for other’s love. He took everyone’s pain and gave everyone the love of their life. This was the great sacrifice that a man made. His name was Saint Valentine.
History
The history takes us back to the Roman period when King Claudius ruled. Earlier it is said that Valentines Day was started in Rome. The day was celebrated as a festival to honor the queen of Roman gods. She is recognized as the goddess of the female sex and matrimony. The next day was celebrated as the Lupercalia Feasts. On the eve of this festival only the youth were allowed to be together and rest of the time they were strictly kept separate. This was the theory that gives the origin of Valentines Day.
Another theory that gives the history of Valentines Day is the sacrifices that a Christian martyr named Valentine made for love. There was a requirement of a huge army, which the emperor of Rome was unable to make. It was only because there were many people who didn’t want to involve themselves in wars and go away from their families. So there was a great problem that Claudius the cruel was facing. So he came up with a very nice idea that sufficed his needs. He stopped people from entering into marriages. For this he passed a law also. But there were people who were against this law and also didn’t want to follow. So a priest named Valentine conducted marriages secretly. This laid down the foundation of Saint Valentine’s day which is now celebrated worldwide. This day is celebrated as this brave martyr died on this day.
Valentines gifts
Earlier Valentines Day was celebrated by exchanging love notes and expressions. People used to send anonymous letters and cards to their loved ones. But nowadays gifts have dominated the scene. However, giving gifts doesn’t mean that love has turned materialistic. But it in fact expresses your love and your emotions.
Your love is always true but is a waste if it is not expressed. And there are many gifts that are available in the stores that are specially designed for this occasion only. Valentine’s Day not only expresses your love and your emotions but will also win the heart of your sweetheart.
Natalie Aranda is a freelance writer. Earlier Valentines Day was celebrated by exchanging love notes and expressions. People used to send anonymous letters and cards to their loved ones. But nowadays [http://www.moonsome.com/]Valentine's gifts have dominated the scene. However, giving gifts doesn’t mean that love has turned materialistic. But it in fact expresses your love and your emotions. You can find [http://www.moonsome.com/]Valentine's gifts for girlfriend, for boyfriend, or for wife on many online gift stores.
History
The history takes us back to the Roman period when King Claudius ruled. Earlier it is said that Valentines Day was started in Rome. The day was celebrated as a festival to honor the queen of Roman gods. She is recognized as the goddess of the female sex and matrimony. The next day was celebrated as the Lupercalia Feasts. On the eve of this festival only the youth were allowed to be together and rest of the time they were strictly kept separate. This was the theory that gives the origin of Valentines Day.
Another theory that gives the history of Valentines Day is the sacrifices that a Christian martyr named Valentine made for love. There was a requirement of a huge army, which the emperor of Rome was unable to make. It was only because there were many people who didn’t want to involve themselves in wars and go away from their families. So there was a great problem that Claudius the cruel was facing. So he came up with a very nice idea that sufficed his needs. He stopped people from entering into marriages. For this he passed a law also. But there were people who were against this law and also didn’t want to follow. So a priest named Valentine conducted marriages secretly. This laid down the foundation of Saint Valentine’s day which is now celebrated worldwide. This day is celebrated as this brave martyr died on this day.
Valentines gifts
Earlier Valentines Day was celebrated by exchanging love notes and expressions. People used to send anonymous letters and cards to their loved ones. But nowadays gifts have dominated the scene. However, giving gifts doesn’t mean that love has turned materialistic. But it in fact expresses your love and your emotions.
Your love is always true but is a waste if it is not expressed. And there are many gifts that are available in the stores that are specially designed for this occasion only. Valentine’s Day not only expresses your love and your emotions but will also win the heart of your sweetheart.
Natalie Aranda is a freelance writer. Earlier Valentines Day was celebrated by exchanging love notes and expressions. People used to send anonymous letters and cards to their loved ones. But nowadays [http://www.moonsome.com/]Valentine's gifts have dominated the scene. However, giving gifts doesn’t mean that love has turned materialistic. But it in fact expresses your love and your emotions. You can find [http://www.moonsome.com/]Valentine's gifts for girlfriend, for boyfriend, or for wife on many online gift stores.
Valentines Day - Ideas & Issues
Stores and boutiques all across the city get plundered on the day of the Valentine's Day. It happens not only in your city but all across the globe, as people continue to do and celebrate things all love and romance. How much overpriced trinkets and flowers may be, people keep purchasing these and say 'I Love You' to their special others. People are looking for innovative ideas to express their romantic message to their partners in the most special way, different from everyone else doing it. But, do you think Valentine's Day to be a purely commercial venture? Look at those card manufacturers and red rose sellers trying to shoot their revenue to the maximum. Given below are some issues that may have you take a closer look at this romantic festival. Read on to more about the ins and outs of Valentine's Day.
First and foremost, the Valentine's Day does not belong to any patron saint, a feast day or any other religious festival. It looks as if the day is meant only to fill the gap between Christmas and Easter. Saying all this does not in any way reflects something otherwise. Definitely, it is a worthy day in more senses than one. But, think about those ruthless establishments and organizations that only want you to spend more and more for their own business benefits. Consider their idea behind this Valentine's Day that most of us take so very romantically serious. These organizations try to take undue advantage of our seriousness. Isn't that true?
Another important aspect of a Valentine's Day is that it forces even those people out to get into a romantic mood that have not displayed even a bit of love or romance throughout the year. This is one of the positive aspects of the romantic festival. But, just consider the other side of it. Look at the average malls, florists, confectionaries and the undergarments shops. They are making the most of it, as hordes of the middle aged men seem to be busy guessing the size of the women they sleep with every night. The florists and the chocolate shops cash in on the romantic seriousness of the people. Chocolate shops and florists begin taking and booking orders weeks in advance while restaurants almost double the prices of the Champaign. Have you thought about it?
There is one darker side to the Valentine's Day. Those who are single feel exploited when they do not receive even a single card. It is really very humiliating when the next day your friends ask you about the number of cards you received on the Valentine's Day. What would you say? You would like to lie by saying you received one or two. Those who are even better at lying might just say that they did not get a single one and pretend that simply do not care about it. Great idea, right? But, actually everyone thinks and cares about it. The Valentine's Day might just arrive to make you aware of the fact that you have no one in your life. Don't you really feel exploited?
The Valentine's Day also incites people to show their wealth in a number of ways, because it happens to be quite provoking. Couples in love demonstrate the importance of being in love by purchasing expensive perfumes and jewelry items. The demonstration also sends signals to those of us who are missing out. And when we have no one to send gifts to, we simply pretend festivals like Valentine's Day just do not exist.
But however clear we may be about the Valentine's industry, the fact is when some one sends us a heart shaped chocolate box on this day, we would be flying among the starts the very next moment. What's your idea about Valentine's Day.
First and foremost, the Valentine's Day does not belong to any patron saint, a feast day or any other religious festival. It looks as if the day is meant only to fill the gap between Christmas and Easter. Saying all this does not in any way reflects something otherwise. Definitely, it is a worthy day in more senses than one. But, think about those ruthless establishments and organizations that only want you to spend more and more for their own business benefits. Consider their idea behind this Valentine's Day that most of us take so very romantically serious. These organizations try to take undue advantage of our seriousness. Isn't that true?
Another important aspect of a Valentine's Day is that it forces even those people out to get into a romantic mood that have not displayed even a bit of love or romance throughout the year. This is one of the positive aspects of the romantic festival. But, just consider the other side of it. Look at the average malls, florists, confectionaries and the undergarments shops. They are making the most of it, as hordes of the middle aged men seem to be busy guessing the size of the women they sleep with every night. The florists and the chocolate shops cash in on the romantic seriousness of the people. Chocolate shops and florists begin taking and booking orders weeks in advance while restaurants almost double the prices of the Champaign. Have you thought about it?
There is one darker side to the Valentine's Day. Those who are single feel exploited when they do not receive even a single card. It is really very humiliating when the next day your friends ask you about the number of cards you received on the Valentine's Day. What would you say? You would like to lie by saying you received one or two. Those who are even better at lying might just say that they did not get a single one and pretend that simply do not care about it. Great idea, right? But, actually everyone thinks and cares about it. The Valentine's Day might just arrive to make you aware of the fact that you have no one in your life. Don't you really feel exploited?
The Valentine's Day also incites people to show their wealth in a number of ways, because it happens to be quite provoking. Couples in love demonstrate the importance of being in love by purchasing expensive perfumes and jewelry items. The demonstration also sends signals to those of us who are missing out. And when we have no one to send gifts to, we simply pretend festivals like Valentine's Day just do not exist.
But however clear we may be about the Valentine's industry, the fact is when some one sends us a heart shaped chocolate box on this day, we would be flying among the starts the very next moment. What's your idea about Valentine's Day.
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