A discussion on Valentine's Day.

So it is officially Valentine's Day! Hmm, what does that even mean? I really have no knowledge whatsoever of this holiday, so I was hoping the amazing minds of ATS could give us all some insight? How did it originate? Are there any conspiracies surrounding it? Thank you.

Ah, one last thing. What does Valentine's Day mean to you? I would like to hear what people think of this holiday. To me, I find it to be somewhat similar to Christmas. Giving and receiving of unneeded stuff.

[edit on 14-2-2010 by SolarE-Souljah]

[edit on 14-2-2010 by SolarE-Souljah]

You can always google it. Or any other search engine.

Aw, I know, but I love coming to ATS for unique and interesting answers.
I'm sure you understand.

Originally posted by SolarE-Souljah
How did it originate?

Google will show you where it originated, but now it is just a way for florists, restaurants, chocolate manufacturers, card companies etc to make money

History channel - History of valentines day

Hope this helps.

reply to post by dereks


That statement pretty much hit the nail on the head, it once was a tradition where loved ones would write a card and send gifts to express their love for each other, but like most traditions these days (xmas for instance) it's lost its way and become commercialized..

Saint Valentine's Day (commonly shortened to Valentine's Day) is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions.The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in AD 496. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The holiday first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Source

feel free to tell me if you think this thread has no purpose.
Really, you can. It's 3 in the morning. I just felt like making a new thread, and its Valentine's Day, so, yeah.

reply to post by SolarE-Souljah



Hey SolarE, happy valentines day!

Go to bed, you may have lot's of nice gifts and cards waiting for you in the morning after a good sleep

Actually you're all wrong...
Its my birthday
seriously though it has turned into another of the many consumer "holidays" like christmas and easter. Its big business now...

reply to post by sileighty


Happy Birth/Valentines day sileighty

The florists out there make a killing on this tradition, I went to a well known supermarket to get some roses for my fiancé yesterday and they wanted £58 for 24 wilting roses... it's just nuts! you could bye a whole bloody bush for that price plant it in ya garden and pick them at will..

Just another marketing holiday - most holidays now are only commercial, and have very real meaning anymore

reply to post by SolarE-Souljah


I have no reason to celebrate valentine's day since I am just a lonely soul in a foreign land but from what I heard valentine's day was meant to get lost souls to unite with other lonely souls and share touches that make fools drop their lunches. Well happy valentine's day for yall anyway...

Happy Valentine's day!

Inexpensive valentine ideas: If you are in warmer climates, pick your own flower arrangement. Get a glass vase, conatainer or basket from a second hand store, clean it well, add your flowers and a beautiful ribbon. Even a lovely tea cup filled with wild flowers is lovely. For the basket, you could add some florist foam and a plastic container inside to hold the flowers.

Gift baskets are the easiest. Line a wicker basket with colored tissue paper and add whatever your sweetheart would like. This could be inexpensive or cost more depending on what you include. It could be concert tickets with a gift certificate to a restaurant, fill the basket with chocklate hearts, wine and whatever.

Make heart shaped cookies from scratch, wrap in plastic wrap, add valentine stickers or floral stickers and tie with ribbon. Lollipop cookies are cool too, you can make a bouquet and tie with ribbon. These are just a few simple ideas. remember them for next year.

Handmade cards are easy and inexpensive. Use colored pens, stickers, ribbon etc. Have fun!

So far this has been a really terrible Valentine's Day for me. Stupid consumer holidays.

reply to post by SolarE-Souljah
Consumer holidays are intended to put the pressure on the people to spend money they don't have on things they don't need. It's sad (and a bit maddening) that many people take it so seriously.

Remember peeps - Hugs are Free!
Cheers and Happy Valentines Day.

Nobody's quite sure, but it might have to do with a North African plant.

During the seventh century B.C., the city-state of Cyrene* had a lucrative trade in a rare, now-extinct plant: silphium. Although it was mostly used for seasoning, silphium was reputed to have an off-label use as a form of birth control.

The silphium was so important to Cyrene's economy that coins were minted that depicted the plant's seedpod, which looks like the heart shape we know today. The theory goes that the heart shape first became associated with sex, and eventually, with love.

www.slate.com...



The supermarket, at close to closing-time yesterday, was still weighed down with flowers. I asked the check-out boy if he'd sold many flowers and he replied not many at all had sold this year

Not sure what they do with them if they don't sell, but the poor sales might make management rethink their outlay next year

Same at the local pharmacies, apparently: people buying much less for Valentine's Day

In this country, Valentine's Day was something only to be found in American movies, like Halloween's, until relatively recently. I'm amongst those who're not a fan of either and consider Valentine's day and Halloween to be profit-driven and empty

Those who deplore Big Business and media-generated hype in particular, I would expect to ignore and resent both Halloween and Valentine's Day, for both attempt to force people into spending against their will in most instances

reply to post by SolarE-Souljah


Is Valentine's Day an actual holiday where you live ?

It's not a holiday here, thank goodness. That would be taking the madness a step too far

Its Valentines Day?

ooops

Thankfully me and hubby dont worry about odd "holidays' like that, actually i do good to remember birthdays and christmas - even then no gifts - kids tell me what favorite meal they want. Anniversaries, Valentines, etc - just another day...


Casing

Originally posted by Majestic RNA

The florists out there make a killing on this tradition, I went to a well known supermarket to get some roses for my fiancé yesterday and they wanted £58 for 24 wilting roses... it's just nuts! you could bye a whole bloody bush for that price plant it in ya garden and pick them at will..

Right!!! i was so upset buying all this expensive junk, but i did it for my woman because i do love her, and if she aint happy, i aint happy.


"You dont spoil me enough" she actually said that to me!!! I know she was playing, but i still find that thought entertaining. Even after i pretty much handed her my car title, and politely give her my paycheck every 2 weeks!!!

Don't get me wrong, we love eachother very much and it is mutual. She has been there for me when i needed her most and even helped me pay off that car, and if 'THIS' is what it takes to make her happy (even tempararly) in the end i feel it is usually very much worth it

hmmm... maybe i should just invest in a rose bush for this particular holiday. Thanx for the idea!!!

hold on, she calling me again

*edit*

I am at work right now and sad because i cant be with her at the moment, but she is working too and we decided to move valentines day to our next day off.

At least i got to spend the morning with her


[edit on 15-2-2010 by H4W4II4N_PUNCH]

D@MN!!!!!! not a single one of you should let them get you like this......

Listen I want to go into a lot more adult detail but I know it would get edited

First I am now officially mad at you all for grumping

Who cares what they made it. I will tell you what I made it?

First off combined with a few other things (psi, magics)

I was enabled to be as tired as I am now. Im on, hell Ive lost track of days.

Yesterday was about love and making love. (its now the 15)

I gave about four deep tissue massages today alone. My hands ached and still do. Its what I am very good at

As long as you can hold them and tell them you love them it is what counts. Her sister is now up and moving again. Im being summoned back to heaven...

How do you type with a woman sitttihk in youj lap?

Im jk going to hjave ot edit lterr

Well she wants to read my post, says Im be mean and she might xxxxxxxxxxxx

@the everyone
ignore kent apparently he has more energy left then I thought. He plays dirty with everyone sometimes. We tolerate him only on the days that end in Y.

happy Valentines day xxx kisses everyone xxx

Great now her sister is up.

She said to the me that I have till shes another bottle of bubbly to finish this so

GTG will edit this to make since later. Just give the love you can for life is short and the days are long

www.youtube.com...