Love Notes

The month of February is known as the month of romance. Every February 14, lovers from across the world exchange tokens of love and affection with their loved ones - flowers, candies, chocolates - all in the name of St. Valentine.

But who was St. Valentine and how was he associated with Valentine's Day? One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during 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 -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

According to another legend, Valentine sent the first ever greeting when he fell in love with a young girl who visited him in jail. Before his death, he wrote a letter to the girl and signed it with "from your Valentine" - an expression which is still widely used today.

Although Valentine's Day is mostly associated with romantic love, this is also a perfect time to express our love and appreciation for everyone in our life. Love, after all, has many different faces.

Happy Love Day to all, especially to you - you know who you are ;)