One legend contends that Valentine was a priest in 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 — Valentine defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. He got put to death for his trouble.
According to another legend, Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself. While in prison,Valentine fell in love with his jailor's daughter. Before his death, he wrote her a last love letter, which he signed "From your Valentine," --an expression that is still in use today.
Valentine's Day may be celebrated in the middle of February thanks to the Church who may have wanted to divert people from celebrating the Pagan festival of Lupercalia—a beginning of Spring and fertility celebration. The city's bachelors would choose a woman's name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often -but not always- ended in marriage. The Church was not amused but finally gave up and in 498 A.D Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day.
The oldest known valentine still in existence is a poem (in the British Library) was written in 1415 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. According to the Greeting Card Association, about one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, just after Christmas.
We at Believe encourage the sending of mushy cards to your loved ones ANY day. We also have some gifts we would like to recommend:
- As there is no one like her anywhere, why not get her a totally unique and hand-made piece of jewelry from Believe? Buy one (or more) pieces from our fabulous collection of Titanium jewelry crafted by the Dutch artist, Jules van der Linden. Jules has been creating gorgeous titanium jewelry, often with touches of gold and silver, since 1989. His work is characterized by a modern and simple style and his metal of choice, Titanium, was chosen by him not only for its beauty, but for the fact that it is virtually indestructible (important in today's busy and bustling world) and, unlike with other metals, virtually no one is allergic to it. It is as strong as steel, but lightweight, and can be colored by a chemical reaction, causing the metal itself to change colors thereby lasting as long as the piece itself (it won't fleck off like enamel.) Or check out the paper jewelry by artist Minh-Thu Leroy (she'll be featured in an upcoming blog.) We guarantee you've never seen anything like her work....
- Candles are very essence of romance (try some around a shared tub) and we have soy candles, perfumed with exquisite fragrances, like Bajan Fig and Lime Coconut and Nutmeg made especially for us. Compared to paraffin, soy is a favorite of environmentally-conscious people because it is made from a renewable source and doesn't increase the carbon levels in the atmosphere; soy candles burn longer; their fragrance disperses in the air more quickly; and any spills are much easier to clean than wax (in case you get a little rowdy.)
- Nothing says “I love you” like a massage by your sweetie. Why not both give and receive one? We've got Zum Shea Butter & Meadowfoam Seed Massage and Body Oil to help make it a smooth experience for both of you. Squirt some drops of Zum Oil in that bath (we've got Zum's Love Me, Love Me Not Soap) and then rub your Valentine's squeaky joints and muscles with essential oils, shea butter, and oils of sweet almond, avocado, meadowfoam seed, and hemp. Your sure to have sweet dreams (if you get any sleep, that is...wink. wink.)
- Or, if you are just flat out of time, do a drive by and grab a gift card. Let your honey choose their own gift from the assortment of great products and fabulous services we have here at Believe. Either way, your Valentine will know you are thinking of them on this special day.