The history of Valentines day is quite vague really and according to legend this annual holiday stems from the Roman festival of Lupercalis which is a fertility celebration which is commemorated on February 15th. As Christianity came to Europe these pagan holidays were very often renamed . In 496 AD Pope Gelasius made this pagan festival a Christian feast day stating that February 14th to be the feast day of Saint Valentine who in fact lived in the 3rd century.

It is believed that St Valentine was really disliked by the Roman emperor Claudius II.It is said that St Valentine was a bishop who held secret marriage ceremonies of soldiers in opposition to his wishes who had banned marriage for younger men. His reasoning behind this was that he thought married men were more emotionally attached to their families and did not make such good soldiers. He believed that it made men weak so he decided to ban them from marrying.

Valentine realised that this was so unjust and witnessing the trauma of these young lovers he would arrange to meet them in a secret place and would perform a marriage ceremony. However Claudius discovered this and had him arrested.

While Valentine was in prison he met a jailer by the name of Asterius. He had a beloved daughter who could not see. Asterius had faith in Valentine and asked him if he could heal the daughters blindness. A miracle occurred and she was able to see again.

Just before Valentine was due to be executed he asked the jailer for a pen and paper and wrote a farewell message to the girl and signed it “From Your Valentine” a phrase that has lasted forever! 

In modern times we continue to celebrate February 14th  by exchanging gifts and cards to our loved ones. One gift that is particularly popular is the “red rose” which signifies romantic love and passion. So, if you want to say “I love you” nothing expresses this better than a beautiful bunch of red roses and maybe chocolates or perfume to show the lady in your life how much you care!

Women are aroused by men knowledgeable about meaningful topics and can communicate them in a humble manner. Increasing knowledge and creative planning are easy using these step by step instructions. Valentines Day is a perfect time to practice the art of seduction. Below are 10 topics involving Valentines Day history which will arouse her curiosity, intrigue her senses, and elevate her desire.

Sensual seduction and female arousal involves 70% communication and 30% physical. The 10 facts below are common tidbits of information anyone can find online. Although basic facts on Valentines Day, they present a valuable weapon in the art of seduction. Thoroughly memorizing them followed by using creative applications is seduction personified.

The first step is learning the 10 facts well enough to repeat them to a friend or colleague. It is not necessary to know all 10 word for word, but the general theme. A technique to imprint the list to memory is using the bolding feature on your computer. Bold proper names, dates, and general themes of each factoid will take 20-30 minutes. After bolding all 10, commit them to memory through repetition.

Once memorized, the next and most crucial step is creative application. Creative application is brainstorming ways to communicate them in an innovative way. In addition to communicating these details, creative application ventures into non-direct methods. A simple technique can be written in the Valentines Day card. Most men rely on the message printed in the card followed by his term of endearment and signature.

Instead, buy a blank card and write a message using one of the 10 Valentines facts. For example, take fact 4. Briefly write why X became representative of a kiss and then finish using number 10 on why Doves represent love. The combinations alone are infinite. Another tip is the email message. For example, put number 2 in the subject line bolded with italics saying “Feast of Lupercalia.” In the body, briefly describe the feast and how Valentines together will feel like the “Feast of Lupercalia.” As stated, these 10 facts become part of your arsenal for seduction.       

If single and out on the town looking to meet women, the creative step is minimal. In the single man meeting a single woman strategy, the goal is subtly discussing Valentines Day using memorized factoids. Emphasis is on being subtle and not being verbose. Once she expresses interest in Valentines Day, introducing other tidbits are acceptable. The goal is a humble manner void of being pompous or egotistical.

If married or actively dating, creative application becomes paramount. Using creative application is dictated by the time involved with a woman. If married or a couple for more than one year, creative application requires more planning. More strategic planning is due to her knowing his intellect, areas of interest, and hidden agendas. If past Valentines Day exchanges were dull, creative applications may be received with suspicion. The 10 Valentines Day facts are as follows.                       

1. Valentines Day dates back to the Roman Empire during the reign of Claudius. As legend has it; Emperor Claudius forbade men to marry believing bachelors functioned better as soldiers during wartime. Objecting to the Emperor’s statute, Bishop Valentine continued to perform secret marital ceremonies. Deemed subversive, Valentine was incarcerated with execution as punishment. Young people flocked to visit him. One young woman was the daughter of the prison guard. On the day of his execution, Valentine scribed a note to her signing it “Love from your Valentine”. This was on February 14, 269 A. D.

 2. The Romans celebrated the Feast of Lupercalia. Lupercalia was a pastoral festival celebrated from February 13th through the 15th. The theme was to purify the city by expelling evil spirits releasing fertility and health. Lupercalia replaced Februa, an even older spring cleansing ritual held on the same date. This ancient ritual word, Februa, continues to thrive giving the month of February its name.

3. February 14th may be the celebrated day of St. Valentines, but during ancient Rome the 14th of February was celebrated to honor Juno. She was a Roman goddess, equivalent to Hera, the Greek queen of the gods. Juno was a majestic figure wearing a diadem on her head. The peacock was her symbolic animal. Juno was also the guardian spirit of women and marriage.

4. The letter X is the symbol used in XO when signing a letter, card, or online message meaning a “kiss” is attached. X became the symbol of the kiss during medieval times. The vast majority of citizens could not read or write. Having few skills in penmanship, contractual agreements were signed writing the letter X. The person was witnessed writing the X and then kissed the X confirming validation.

5. During the middle ages, a custom each year was for young men and women to pick a name from a bowl predicting who would be their Valentine. Once their lucky Valentine was chosen, they would wear his/her name pinned to their sleeves for an entire week. From this custom comes the expression “to wear your heart on your sleeve.”

6. Chocolate has historical significance symbolizing love, passion, and a gift for Valentines Day. Casanova, known as symbolizing the worlds “greatest lover”, ate chocolate believing it heightened his sexual prowess. As recent as the 19th century, doctors prescribed chocolate for their patients experiencing negative symptoms caused by a lost love. Also during the latter part of the 19th century, the Cadbury Company produced and marketed boxes of chocolate for loved ones on Valentines.

7. Flowers remain the gift of choice on Valentines Day. Roses are most popular and red roses continue to be their color of choice. The color red and the red rose have symbolized love and romance dating back to ancient times. In Greek and Roman mythology, the red rose was associated with the Goddess of Love. Aphrodite symbolized love for the Greeks and the Romans had Venus.

8. Cupid is one of the most famous symbols of Valentine’s Day. Like many cultural symbols, Cupid represents love and romance. Cupid was the son of Venus, Goddess of Love in ancient Roman mythology. In Greek mythology, Cupid was named Eros and the son of Aphrodite. In both Roman and Greek mythology, Cupid was depicted as a child and not a portly baby with wings. Latin mythology introduced Cupid being chubby, naked, and adorning wings. His bow with quiver of arrows was not to kill, but induce love.

9. The symbol of a heart is associated with Valentine’s Day. The custom of drawing a heart shape originated from early attempts to draw a human organ that few witnessed. Ancient cultures believed the soul lived in the heart. The theory of how the heart became a symbol of love is attributed to the Romans and Greeks. Greeks believed Eros and Cupid for the Romans were commissioned by their mothers to shoot unsuspecting victims with their arrows causing the person to fall hopelessly in love.

10. Birds are symbols of Valentines Day and two particular species represent symbols of love. Lovebirds and Doves are the two. Lovebirds found in Africa, are brilliantly colored and huddle close together with their mates. Doves are symbols of loyalty because they mate for life. Also endeared by humans are doves parenting dynamics. Doves mate for life and share in the responsibilities of caring for their fledglings.

 How toArouse and Seduce Women on Valentines Day is an easy exercise to learn, devise, and implement. Women enjoy men they deem interesting and spark their intrigue. The technique of arousing her mind does not require a doctoral degree, but the effort involved is what will arouse. Arousing and seducing women using intellectual prowess are not just for Valentines Day. This technique can be used for every holiday and as a general approach for any and all occasions. The art of seducing a woman starts at the top, her mind, and then slowly working to other areas.

I’m convinced that part of the reason people feel sorry for themselves when they’re single on Valentine’s day is because a few weeks before February 14th, every year, websites, magazines, and television shows all start releasing survival guides for singles, making you wonder how you’re going to survive.

You’re going to survive being single on Valentine’s day the same way you survived Christmas when you were single. Remember that one year that you had to drink green beer on St. Patrick’s Day without a significant other sitting next to you? That worked out fine as well, didn’t it?

Ok, so there was a little bit of sarcasm thrown in the mix there, but you get the point. Yes, Valentine’s day is more focused on love than other holiday’s but that doesn’t mean you have to share your love with only a lover.

Please don’t fall into the trap of the stereotypical single who stays home alone, crying with a tub of ice cream, watching Pretty Woman over and over.

Embrace your singleness and celebrate this Valentine’s day with pride!

Now that we got the pep talk out of the way and you’re ready to roll, here’s just a few things you could do to make the night fun and forget about what you used to worry about as a single on Valentine’s day:

Platonic Valentine
Remember when you use to pass out those little paper Valentine cards in elementary school to all your friends? Grab a box and send them out to your friends and family. I for one, would get a great kick out of receiving one from somebody special in my life.

Charitable Love
There are a lot of people in the world who could use your love and compassion for a day. Why not make that day Valentine’s? Volunteer at a local charity or simply do something kind for someone who is in need. Trust me, it doesn’t matter if you’re single, this will make you feel warm and fuzzy.

Movie/Game Night
You might have heard this as an option before, and if so, that’s because it’s a great idea. Get together and share love and companionship with your friends. Watch movies, play games, have a few drinks, gossip.

Whatever you choose to do, do it 100% and celebrate being single on Valentine’s day.

When most think of gift giving on Valentine’s day, what comes to mind is typically what a man is going to get to show his love and appreciation for a woman. It’s a day of heavy marketing, sold-out florists, and celebrity engagements on the news.

However, love and romance is a two-way street, at least we all hope it to be, and there are still an abundance of women who feel the desire to find the perfect gift for their man on February 14th each year.

With Valentine’s day coming so soon after Christmas, and women not having the obvious choices like heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and a dozen long stem roses, there is usually a little more thought involved in the gift giving, decision-making process.

Or is there?

Just like Christmas, a Valentines day gift for him should come from the heart. The only real difference is that on February 14th, this particular gift should encapsulate your love for him and shine with a romantic beam. Keep in mind that sometimes it’s the way you present the gift that will spark the romanticism of the day as opposed to the gift itself.

Add a magic touch

When you are choosing a Valentine’s gift for him this year, give the following some thought and maybe add your own little personal touch to them.

For instance, are you always getting him to run errands for the smallest things? Why not insist that he goes to the grocery store for tampons right this second (as soon as he wakes up), but when he opens the car door he sees a note telling him to come back upstairs for a gift (and thanks for being a great guy!)

If you have this frame of mind when choosing a gift for him, then the possibilities of what to get him are really endless. Remember, it is about the thought, imagination, and you making him feel special on Valentine’s day, not the actual material things.

Valentine’s day is the time to celebrate your love for one another, but what does that mean for married couples? Sometimes our progression into more responsibility and the daily grind of mature life can change our priorities and even our spirit. What once was a day that you looked forward to, may get lost and pass by without being celebrated at all.

Sometimes we simply grow, change, and no longer have the same interests. However, love is one joy that is magical, life-giving, and something that always gives us happiness, regardless of the situation we’re in, how old we are, or how busy we are.

If you are married and somehow lost touch with the romantic side that once was, then use Valentine’s day to recapture that spirit.

All it takes is action to keep it exciting!

If you’re busy, use the one 7 mobile devices that you carry for work to remind you to schedule some time for Valentine’s day celebration with your spouse! No, not just an alarm that dings when it’s February 14th, but reminders several weeks before to create a special day for you and your spouse to help rekindle that fire you had when you were younger.

You just need a spark.

If you plan weeks beforehand, then you will not feel the stress of getting things together once the actual day arrives.

Here’s a few things you might want to consider planning well ahead of time:

• Get a babysitter
• Make dinner reservations or plan out your meal for the night (and buy the food)
• Buy a new outfit
• Look online for ideas on a thoughtful gift
• And anything else you’d love to do! Do it!

Surprise your spouse with something unique this year and don’t even bother going to the local florist or the grocery store for a last minute box of chocolates.

Make it meaningful – and that doesn’t necessarily mean expensive. Just make sure it’s from the heart.

On February 14th, every year, lovers wear their heart on their sleeve and show their feelings for one another through celebration. This is the day of love and affection that we call Valentine’s Day.

As with every other holiday, there is a story behind the reason for celebrating on Valentine’s Day and showering each other with flowers, love, and chocolate.

One tale dates way back to the 3rd century B.C., thousands of years ago, there was a saint named Valentine who lived as a priest in the kingdom of Saint Claudius II. This king had the notion that strong family bonds and loving relationships weaken his soldiers, so in an attempt to have a stronger military, marriage was outlawed and strictly forbidden for young men.

Saint Valentine, who spent most of his life helping to tie the bonds of love between couples in the kingdom, disagreed with the king and disobeyed his orders by secretly continuing to coordinate marriages secretly.

Eventually, the king caught wind of what Saint Valentine was doing and sentenced him to death on, you guessed it, February 14th. Ever since his death, that day in February has been celebrated in honor of love and the spirit of Saint Valentine.

Another version of the Saint Valentine story tells a tale of the man being held captive who was in love with his jailer’s daughter.  The day that he was to be put to death is still the same, February 14th, but in this version, it was the a love letter that he wrote to his lover on the day of his death that sparked the Valentine’s day celebration.

The love letter was said to have been signed Your Valentine, and started the tradition of sharing love letters and gifts to express the love and affection that one had for another.

Obviously, it’s extremely difficult to know the real story behind Saint Valentine, but the important part that holds true in every version is that he was an idol of love and stood strong to fight for it.

Remember that it is the tradition of love that is celebrated on Valentine’s day every year and although material things play a big part of the celebration in our society, it is the true message of love that matters the most.