Valentines Day History

Split heart

Do you enjoy giving and receiving Valentines gifts? When did it all start? Where did it begin and who was the founder of this interesting tradition?

History shows a potential start back during the Roman Empire when Claudius was emperor. With long battles occurring during the time of roman conquest seeming to lose their force by homesick husbands and promised soon to be husbands, the emperor thought it best to do away with the act of marriage. He would not allow men to marry thinking that love and family time would take away his men’s strength for battle.

One story says that there may have been a man, Saint Valentine, who would defy the order and perform weddings for promised couples that would ask him. Claudius learned of it, arrested him and sentenced him to death. He was put into prison and as the story goes, the grateful couples that had been helped by him would slip flowers and notes to him through his jail cell bars. It was thought that on his dying day he wrote to his love interest, who was possibly the jailer’s daughter, with the special farewell "from your Valentine." 
Whether or not St. Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter or was slipped notes by those that came to see him, many “valentine traditions" have become established today.

We see that Valentine’s Day is not all about the love stories. There are certain foods and details that have grown into traditions. Chocolate has been a favorite gift for a long time, as couples remember the "sweetness of their relationship.” Other changes from within religious traditions, the altering of the roman god of love, Cupid, now has become a winged cherub shooting arrows to bring couples together. Many other alterations to Valentine’s Day have taken place over time, one being the removal of its first roots, found in an ancient Roman fertility ritual. The combination of great fun and silly romance make for a mid-February tradition that can warm hearts on these cold days and sweeten many a smile. With 100 million roses and 36 million boxes of candy being sold for Valentine’s Day it is one of the largest spending holidays after only a few other major holidays.

Ask some whether they spend extra on Valentine’s Day, and you would possibly hear that it has to be the best if it is for the love of ones life.

The holiday brings in $14 billion annually. It is not surprising as men will often get talked into getting the "finest" and usually most expensive of everything to make it special. We know how difficult it can be for men to find the perfect Valentine flowers or sweep their women off her feet with that box of chocolates. Why not throw in a professional auto detail job? Consider adding a gift certificate for a full or partial detail under that box of chocolates and flowers.

Do you take a romantic drive during the holiday? Where do you like to go? If it involves driving a little ways, it may pay to have the vehicle as fresh as possible for that special someone in your life. Consider having an interior detail and washing that paint to make your ride sparkle when you take your sweetheart to dinner. To help you celebrate we would like to give you the opportunity to express your love a little differently this year and keep your vehicle smelling sweet for a perfect Valentine treat. Make it an extra special thing to help remember this Valentines Day.



info source: http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day/videos

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Box of Chocolates