Feb. 14 marks the day in which couples across the U.S. (and in some other parts of the world) express their love for each other.
Valentine's Day has become one of the most popular American holidays, all in the name of the mysterious Saint Valentine, whose identity is still not certain. One possibility is that he was a priest who secretly married soldiers in a time where soldiers were not allowed to have families. Another legend says that he was killed for trying to rescue Christian prisoners from the harsh Roman jails - he allegedly fell in love with a young girl while in prison himself and signed his letters, "From your Valentine."
The origins of the holiday are interesting. Some claim that the holiday was created around the same time as the pagan holiday Lupercalia, a fertility festival, to ease the pagans into Christianity. At the end of the fifth century, however, Feb. 14 was officially declared Valentine's Day by Pope Gelasius. In the middle ages, the idea of Valentine's Day became more romantic in nature, since the English and French considered it to be the official start of birds' mating season. Proclamations of love on Valentine's Day were seen as early as the Middle Ages and have continued into the present.
This holiday season, consider some of these fun ideas to celebrate with your beloved. Enjoy, lovebirds.
1. Play a kissing lottery.
On small slips of paper, write down different kinds of kisses: forehead, on the cheek, passionate, etc. Then place them in a bag and have your significant other pull out a slip of paper. Whatever kind of kiss they pull is the kind they have to give you!
2. Make a photo album.
Start at the beginning of your relationship and work up to the present! Insert little captions. Tell the story of your love.
3. Write your reasons for loving them on playing cards.
I actually used this idea last year for my boyfriend. I bought a deck of gold playing cards (they are relatively inexpensive on Amazon) and on the back of each one, I printed out a reason why I loved him. I used the Joker card to put a picture of the two of us. He loved it!
4. Buy your partner the book "Guess How Much I Love You."
Then paste you and your partner's names over the book characters' names. It is simple but sweet!
5. Take your beloved on a scavenger hunt.
Send them to places around town. Places you enjoy going together add a personal touch. Have a surprise waiting at the final destination. Maybe it is you with a dozen roses or a fancy present!
6. Go on a Valentine's Day picnic.
Buy some food and go enjoy the sunshine in a park! Little things go a long way.
7. Decorate a poster board with memories.
Perhaps you have saved pictures or movie ticket stubs or receipts, you can decorate a white poster board with them. Even better, attach them in the shape of a heart!
8. Show everyone how much you care.
Use spray paint or cardboard cutouts to decorate your house's garage or fence. "I love you, Jolene!"
9. Send a care package if your partner is far away.
Military wife or husband? No fear! Send them a care package with necessary items and little things to remind them that you love them, even from a distance.
10. Write a mushy poem, it's a classic.
Admit it, you like the super cheesy Valentine's Day gifts, too.
11. Make a Jar of Love.
Take an old pickle jar and fill it with everything you can think of like, reasons why you love them, words of encouragement, sweet song lyrics and ideas for date nights. When your significant other needs a quick pick-me-up, tell them to choose something out of the Jar of Love.
