HISTORY

Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honor Juno. Juno was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia.

The lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate. However, one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl's name from the jar and would then be partners for the duration of the festival with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry.

Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, about the year 270. At that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honor of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed.

The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome endeavored to do away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the names of saints for those of maidens. And as the Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors appear to have chosen Saint Valentine's Day for the celebration of this new feast. So it seems that the custom of young men choosing maidens for valentines, or saints as patrons for the coming year, arose in this way.

SWEET RECIPES

Cupid Cookies

• 1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 tsp. grated lemon peel
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup ground blanched almonds
• About 20 candied cherries cut in half
  

Beat butter and the cup of sugar until creamy; beat in egg yolk and lemon peel. Then gradually add flour, blend thoroughly and stir in almonds. Gather dough into a ball with your hands. On a lightly floured board, roll out dough to a thickness of1/4 inch. Cut out with a 2 to 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter; transfer cookies to greased baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with sugar. Press in half a cherry in center of each cookie. Bake in a 325~ oven for about 20 minutes or until edges are golden. Transfer to racks and let cool completely. Store airtight. Makes about 3-1/2 dozen.

Valentine's Cocktail

• 3 ounces sherry
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 3 or 4 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Eat drink and be merry 'cos tomorrow is just another ordinary day.

"I love you" in various languages

Africano -  Ek het jou liefe Alemán - Ik hou van jou Árabe - Ib’n hebbak Búlgaro - Obicham te Cantones - Moi oiy neya Catalán - T’estimo Celta - Tha gra\dh agam ort Coreano - Tangshin-i cho-a-yo Spanish - Te amo Esperanto - Mi amas vin Filipino - Mahal ka ta Francés - Je t’aime Griego - s’ayapo  Hawaiano - Aloha I’a Au Oe Hebreo - Ani ohev otach Hindú - Main TumsePrem KartaHoon

Indonesio - Saya cinta padamu  Ingles - I love you Iraní - Mahn doostaht doh-rahm Irish - taim i’ ngra leat Italiano - ti amo Japonés - Kimi o ai shiteru Latín - Vos amo Libanés - Bahibak Papiamentu - Mi ta stima bo Portugués - Eu te amo Quechua - qanta munani Ruso - Ya vas liubliu Tahitiano - Ua Here Vau Ia Oe Thailandes - Khao Raak Thoe Turco - Seni Seviyurum Zulú - Mena Tanda Wena

Things to do on Valentine's Day

• 
• Write a poem for your sweetheart.
• Try to find more about your valentine's hobbies so that you can surprise him/her with some smart talk.
• Buy a music CD for her.
• Send him/her a virtual postal
• Tell her that you will coming late for the dinner and then surprise her by reaching home early and taking her out for a candlelight dinner
• Design a special for him/her
• Post her a nice, sweet, romantic or even a whacky Who knows, you may even win an exclusive gift (apart for your valentine's heart)
• Take her out for a nice long drive.
• Send a bouquet of roses to your Valentine
• Send her virtual kisses and hugs
• Leave a small message beside her pillow to make her day begin with some romance in the air.
• Buy a nice set of lace lingerie/ briefs
• Give him/her a nice sensuous massage.
• Arrange a special Valentine's dinner for your parents (at least an hours drive from home) and arrange a Valentine bash, for your sweetheart at your house.
• Sketch something for your sweetie pie.
• Cook a special dish (If it's your first attempt, keep those antacids handy).
• Just take time out to express your feelings, thoughts, fears and even fantasies to her.
• Take a long walk holding each other's hands.
• Brush or comb her/his hair
• Let her sleep while you watch over the children
• Read out romantic/erotic poetry to your Valentine
• Start saving for a special holiday fund for the two of you
• Exchange a list containing each other's likes and dislikes.
• Visit a place where you've always wanted to go, but never got the chance.
• Just lie on the beach and star gaze.
• Have video game competitions at the arcades
• And finally, Kiss her/him