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No one is exactly sure how Valentine's Day started, but there are many stories
about it. Some people think that the holiday is named after a saint named Valentine, who
lived long ago. Stories say that Valentine sent a girl a note to thank her for
giving him food. He signed the note,"Your Valentine."
Some people believe that Valentine's Day started with an ancient festival in Rome. At this festival, women would write their names on paper and put them in a dish. Men would draw names from the dish. The name a man picked would be his partner at the festival. Some people think that Valentine's Day is for the birds! A long time ago in Europe, people noticed that some birds paired off in couples on February 14. These people had the idea that men and women should become couples on this day, too. This may explain why birds appear on Valentine's Day gifts today. We most likely celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14 because the festival, the saint and the birds were remembered on this day. Whatever its origins, people have associated Valentine's Day with love and friendship for hundreds of years. You have probably made or bought Valentine's Day cards for your friends and family, right? Giving people cards on Valentine's Day is a way to show that we care. Just as Valentine sent a note to the girl, we give people Valentine's Day cards to let them know we appreciate them. The custom of giving Valentine's Day cards started almost 600 years ago, but these cards weren't like the ones that we give today. The cards were just pieces of paper with poems or letters on them. As the years passed, Valentine's Day cards became fancier. Some people decorated their cards with lace, birds, hearts and silk. People liked making and getting these cards so much that companies started making cards. Besides cards, people give other gifts on Valentine's Day. People give candy and flowers. These gifts let others know we care about them, too. The candy is usually heart-shaped or comes in a heart-shaped box. The heart symbol appears a lot on Valentine's Day cards and gifts. Long ago, people thought that a person's heart was the source of feelings like love.We know today that this isn't true, but the heart symbol still represents love to us. Red is the traditional Valentine's Day color. Red symbolizes love and caring because people think of it as the color of the heart. On Valentine's Day, people give red roses and red cards. Sometimes people even wear red clothes! No matter how you celebrate it, Valentine's Day is a fun holiday! At school, children sometimes have parties and give cards to their friends. Friends and family members give each other cards, too. Whether the cards and gifts are bought or made by hand, the thought behind them means a lot. On Valentine's Day, it's the thought that counts.
Copyright 1999, Nordic Software, Inc. |
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Interested in learning more about Valentine's Day? Check out our educational CD-ROM about Valentine's Day. |
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