Valentine's Day facts you probably didn't know
By Laman Ismayilova
Love has no boundaries. If two people love each other, nothing is impossible.
Every February 14, couples across the globe honor their sweethearts. Flowers, chocolate, dinner and champagne all enhance the romance of the day. The celebration has a tear dropping story behind it.
In the middle ages, Valentine’s Day was a day to commemorate the acts of Valentinus. Emperor Claudius II decided to outlaw marriage as he believed that it distracted soldiers.
Despite the emperor’s orders, St. Valentine began to secretly arrange marriages before soldiers went off to war.There, St. Valentine fell in love with a blind girl who happened to be the jailer’s daughter and sent her a love letter signed "from your Valentine" on February 14th, the day of his execution, as a goodbye...
If you still feel "butterflies" in your stomach, take a look at some Valentine's Day facts.
Why so sweet?
The chocolate looks feels and tastes heavenly. Ever wonder why we eat chocolate on Valentine's Day?
Richard and George Cadbury are the two men who made Valentine’s Day so sweet and delicious. The English chocolate-making family produced the first Valentine’s Day candy box.
Richard Cadbury decorated a heart-shaped candy box with a painting of his young daughter holding a kitten in her arms.
In a short time, the Cadbury Valentine’s day had turned into one of the best occasion to offer heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. The exchange of chocolates between a man and a woman was one of the best ways to express feelings.
In addition, people knew to use chocolate for seduction. It's been said that certain compounds in cacao can have an aphrodisiac effect. Perhaps that's why chocolate is such a popular Valentine's Day.
Cupid...shoot the arrow!
Cupid, a sweet baby with wings, a bow and arrow has a great power to make people fall in love. His gold and iron arrows are known to arouse passion or heartbreak.
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the son of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty.
Between 14th and 17th centuries, many artists created their art works that showed Cupid as a baby angel. In the late 1800s, baby angel began to appear on Valentine’s Day cards. Today, Cupid is seen as one of the most iconic symbols of love and romance.
Be my Valentine!
Valentine's Day is known for exchanging cards. The oldest record of a Valentine was a poem written by a French medieval duke named Charles to his spouse in 1415.
Charles wrote to his lover while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London at just 21 years old. During his twenty-four year captivity, he composed over five hundred poems.
Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards. The ribbon that adorns modern-day Valentines, is rooted in the Middle Ages. When knights competed in tournaments, their sweethearts often gave them ribbons for good luck.
Roses are red...
Roses are red. Violets are blue. If I could pick anyone. I would pick you!
There is nothing quite like the fragrance of flowers in full bloom. Those wishing to turn their feelings into a blossoming love delight their sweethearts with beautiful red roses.
Over 50 million roses are given for Valentine’s Day each year. Why roses are so popular on Valentine's Day?
In Greek mythology, rose bushes grew from the ground through Aphrodite’s tears and the blood of her lover, Adonis. For this reason red rose is the symbol of Valentine’s Day.
The tradition of giving Valentine’s Day flowers dates back to the late 17th century. In Persia, King Charles II was interested in a unique form of art—the language of flowers, focused on expressing feelings without uttering any words at all.
Romeo and Juliet
The romantic play, "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, is probably one of the most well-known love stories of all times.
This may sound strange but Juliet still receives letters on Valentine's Day each year. Over 1,000 cards are sent to the Italian city of Verona addressed to Juliet.
The Casa di Giulietta or Juliet's House Giulietta has become a magnet for lovers around the world.
Those wishing to express all their feelings can write directly on the special walls of the courtyard or leave a message on paper and stick it to the wall. There is an official Juliet’s Club responsible for answering these letters.
St Valentine's Day is an annual festival to celebrate romantic love but don't forget to appreciate those you love daily, not once a year. You deserve someone who loves you with every single beat of his heart!
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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova
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