Valentine's Day

Your Candy Heart Says "Hug Me"

A total sweetheart, you always have a lot of love to give out. Your heart is open to where ever love takes you! Your ideal Valentine's Day date: a surprise romantic evening that you've planned out Your flirting style: lots of listening and talking What turns you off: fighting and conflict Why you're hot: you're fearless about falling in love

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

Well, that's the truth. I could use a hug right now. I wish I could say I was fearless about falling in love. It would be wonderful to have someone right now, the only problem is I have absolutely no time to find someone! I have to trust that my tarot card reading was right, and that when the time is right, I will meet someone.

About Valentine's Day, I've had some wonderful ones in the past with ex-sweetie pie, and another ex. But there is so much pressure to have a spectacular day, to get an expensive gift, or to get engaged, it sort of dilutes what the day is supposed to be about. I used to agonize every year about what to do on Valentine's Day when I was dating ex-sweetie pie.

I couldn't do the same things that I did last year, or buy the same gift. I used to put such pressure on myself to buy the most fabulous card. If I didn't get a big bouquet of roses on Valentine's Day, I thought he didn't love me as much, that the passion was dying.

One year, he wanted to take me to Benihana of Tokyo, and I hectored the poor guy into taking me to Barbetta, a super romantic restaurant in the theater district. I made him feel bad because he wanted to take me to a restaurant with flying knives! Was that nice of me? No, but it had to be my romantic day. Ouch! I'm amazed that he put up with me for almost nine years.

No one even really knows the true origin of Valentine's Day. There are lots of theories. Some say that it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on February 14, 269 A.D., the same day that had been devoted to love lotteries. Legends also say that St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it "From Your Valentine".

Some legends say that Saint Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius then had Valentine jailed for defying him. Basically, there are like three St. Valentine's like there are several St. Catherine's and St. Theresa's. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honour St. Valentine.

So basically no one knows who the real St. Valentine is.

In the US, Esther Howland is given credit for sending the first valentine cards. Thanks Esther! Because of you, card stores are filled with pink and red cards in like the beginning of January. Did you know that the town of Loveland, Colorado, does a large post office business around February 14? I've even heard of people sending their cards to towns that have the word Love in them so they can have that postmark on their cards.

St. Valentine's Day was also the day that Al Capone's goons took out Dion O'Bannion's in 1929, solidifying his hold over the Chicago rackets.

Sigh! I'm the poster girl for the Anti-Valentine's Day since I've been single. I even scheduled myself to work tonight, so that I don't have to deal with the holiday.

But that's probably counter-productive. Just because I'm uncoupled, doesn't mean I should be so Bah Humbug about the whole thing. So today I'm wishing everyone a happy Valentine's Day both single and coupled. I hope everyone has a day filled with love and happy surprises.

Elizabeth