Valentine’s Day: restaurants, gifts, roses and chocolates, but what lies underneath this special time of the year?

There are many legends about this day. According to History.com, one legend explains that Valentine was a priest who served in Rome when Emperor Claudius II ruled. During this time, the emperor decided that single men were better soldiers than married ones since they did not have families to worry about. Because of this, he prohibited the marriage of young men.

Realizing the injustice, Valentine continued to perform marriages in secret. When his actions were discovered, Claudius ordered his imprisonment and death.

While in prison, Valentine wrote the first “valentine” greeting when he fell in love with the jailor’s daughter that visited him during his incarceration. He signed this letter “From your Valentine,” an expression still used today.

Even though the legend behind this date is not clear, it does highlight Valentine as a hero and a romantic figure. He helped young couples without receiving anything back, just because he wanted to.

Restaurants, gifts, roses and chocolates: yes, it’s true, we all expect to receive at least one, but the truth is that what matters the most is the idea that all was done out of wanting to do so. We should not need to have an excuse to say, “I love you,” or to do something nice for the person we love.

What’s Your Favorite Valentine’s Memory?

Marco Sanchez	Marco Sanchez
	“My favorite Valentine’s moment is when I got around 5 Crush sodas from secret admirers. I ended up drinking them with my friends at lunch.”
Uriel Tremillo	Uriel Tremillo
	“In middle school, they used to give out carnations for Valentine’s Day. That day I received about 4 carnations, and I didn’t even buy one! I felt pretty good about myself. Something like a playa. I came home and gave the carnations to my mom.”
Katie Combs	Katie Combs
	“My favorite memory about Valentine’s Day is coming home from school and going to my room and my boyfriend decorated it with rose petals, flowers, streamers and paper hearts – very romantic!”
Kirsten Guerra	Kirsten Guerra
	“My favorite memory about Valentine’s Day was when my boyfriend took me to the drive-in on a very cold night in Midland. I thought it was going to be the typical date, but what happened next was unexpected. After the final feature film, I looked up at the screen and saw a message that drove me to tears. “Kirsten, will you marry me?” was displayed. He then got down on his knee and showed me the ring… It was the most memorable moment of my life.”
Wes Condray	Wes Condray
	“Not to sound like a player, but I have had my share of dates, and yet every time Valentine’s Day rolls around, I’m all by myself. I have just started owning this and have begun to celebrate Single Awareness Day.”