Valentine Card

Valentine’s Day is a day when heart overpowers brain; when emotions quell logic; when humanity beats human trivialities; because, love envelopes the whole world on the day. Love is an integral part of our being. Without love we would be hollow the world, a defunct mass of breathing creatures. Love, a pious emotion, is inspiration of life. It teaches humanity; it treats humanity. Love has colors of the rainbows, coolness of the moon, and profundity of the earth, and when it dances on the strings of heart, emotions get sublime. And these sublime emotions complete our journey to perfection of human qualities.

Valentine’s day affords us an opportunity to perfect that journey. At that day, love is celebrated with all verve and élan of human sentiments. People, who want to express their esoteric feelings to their valentines, find this day appropriate to bridge the lacuna of hearts. At the Valentine’s Day love takes physical form in shape of flowers, chocolate, jewelries, and other gift items. Gifts are used as an emissary to convey one’s feelings to one’s valentine. Love letters, love notes, greeting cards are some other ways where ink –drenched sentiments help blossom love on this lovely day. Expression of love is not restricted only to young boy and girlfriends; affection shown at this day can brighten up the eyes of your parents or grand parents or siblings too. This day proffers you a platform to show and say as to how much you care for your near and dear ones.

History of Valentine's Day:

There are several legends that describe the details behind the Valentine’s Day celebrations. One story is related to the sacrifice of saint valentine in 3rd century. It is believed that Roman Emperor Claudius ruled out marriage for youths in his regime. Marriage, he held, was an impediment in the way of mentally and physically strong soldiers – heavily demanded in that era of wars. But Saint Valentine, who was a compassionate Christian, defied the draconian decree of the emperor by arranging clandestine marriages for young couples.

When the emperor knew of it: he was livid. He ordered to sever saint Valentine’s head. While in jail, Valentine met a blind girl-- who was supposedly daughter of the jailor. As per the legend, he fell for the girl and with his prayers treated the blindness of her. Before going to the guillotine on 14th of Feb., allegedly, he wrote a letter, containing words “From Your valentine” as signature, to this blind beloved. It can be surmised that in order to honor the crusade for love fought by Saint Valentine, people started observing Valentine’s Day.

The other legend says that Feb 14th was announced as a Valentine’s Day in order to paint a Roman festival called Lupercalia in Christian colors. Lupercalia was a festival celebrated in the name of fertility. It used to start, as per the legend, from mid February i.e.15th February. In this festival a goat and a dog were sacrificed in the cave –where it is supposed that Roman founders Romulus and Ramous were saved by She-wolf- to make wishes for fertility and purification. The goat’s blood was used for fertility the dog’s, for purification. Later the sliced goat hides, dipped in the sacrificed blood, were softly slapped on the women and farm fields, assuming that it would make them more fertile in the coming days. In the latter part of the day, the Romans would organize a function to choose the couples. In this function an urn filled with the names of girls were put and each boy of the community would pick out a token containing name of a girl. And they would be declared the couple for rest of the year. The Church found this practice unchristian and proposed that people would have to pick out names of saints from the urn and the name of the saint picked would be an example to lead life for rest of the year. But this couldn’t get popular. And Romans were still practicing the affectionate ways to find couples. Then the Church announced 14th February as Valentine’s Day after the name of saint Valentine who was beheaded in 270AD,for the celebration of love. The priests of Church thought that the youth wouldn’t be able to identify any semblance of love in decapitation of Valentine’s head. But they were wrong. Instead of antipathy they showed sympathy to Valentine’s gruesome end and made him an icon for lovers’ community.

Gradually, the 14th February, got popular as a day for lovers to express their sentiments and lovers called each other valentine in order to feel the purity of saint Valentine’s love for his blind beloved or to keep themselves remembering that for true love even life can be sacrificed. And these feelings have helped deepen the relationship of youth couples over the centuries.

Valentine’s Day and its symbols:

Valentine’s day is celebrated using several symbols. Cupid, Roses, Hearts, Doves, Love Birds are some of the symbols that replicate the sentiments of you heart for your valentine.

Cupid (The Roman God of Love) is the favorite choice of lovers when it comes to symbolizing love-feelings. With a bow and an arrow, this winged deity, son of Roman Goddess for love and beauty-Venus, has become a brand to represent love all over the world. Cupid printed greeting cards, Cupid embossed gift items, and Cupid structured statuettes make for a large part of present segment of commercial stores.

Roses are too a great way to translate your feelings into a visible shape. There are types of Roses, which represents feelings germane to Valentine’s Day. Rose (Red) symbolizes words love and I love you; Rose (Thorn less), love at first sight; Rosebud (Moss), confession of love; Rose (Single full bloom), I love you and I still love you. You can choose any of these to express you heart-felt emotions to your valentine.

Heart-shaped pendants and chocolates, popular as gift items, are a sign of colossal influence of heart as a symbol on a Valentine’s Day. After all it is heart, which nurses emotions. So, It is only romantic to incorporate heart-shaped articles to articulate feeling to your valentine.

Doves and lovebirds are good omen of love expressions. Belief is that birds find their mate around February month, which is usually spring time in England, and this cemented the opinion that February is a true month for seeking valentine and especially Feb14th. Lovebirds are a couple that always live together, never part ways. So, is there any other way to convey the message of bonding so strongly than symbol of lovebirds Piety, innocence and meekness: these all are qualities of dove, and when love is as pure as dove’s feathers, the relationship is bound to thrive.

Valentine’s Day and words:

Words are mind-bending. In the history of human society several successes have been notched up on the basis of words. So when it come to celebrating romance, how came words lag behind.

Words have always been instrumental in expression of love and affection to special ones. From letter of convicted St, Valentine to his blind girlfriend in 3rd century to letter of forlorn Duke of Orleans to his wife in 15th century to today’s ready-made, fancy greeting cards inked with verses to suit emotions of almost any lovers, words have influenced generations in search of right platform to voice passion possessed for relationships with their valentines.

The message embedded in the Valentine’s Day festival is love. And when love is pure and pious, hearts doesn’t need other magnet to get attracted. So, always keep your love pure and find a valentine reigning your heart sooner rather than latter!