Mandi Mooney
Assistant Editor/Web Administrator
In early elementary school, February was my
favorite month out of the entire year. Not only did I get to celebrate my
birthday, but we also celebrated Valentine’s Day. I loved getting Valentine’s
Day cards from all the kids in my class (the Disney princess ones were my
favorite).
We can all remember the excitement of walking into class on this special day
dressed in red and delivering our cards to the homemade envelopes taped to the
front of each desk. Of course, who could forget all the candy and the
ever-popular conversation candy hearts?
As I got older, however, I remember feeling nervous as I handed a Valentine’s
Day card to my first crush. Then when the time came to open all the cards, I
hoped and prayed that there would be one from him in my envelope.
As the years passed, the excitement of Valentine’s Day lessened. The
exhilaration I once felt as this special day approached turned to apprehension
and dread. I now worry about what I’m going to do on Feb 14. Will I be single?
Will I face another “girl’s night” during which we all mope about not having
dates? Of course, every girl wonders if that special someone will propose on
this day of love.
Now I even question the point of Valentine’s Day and who on earth would think up
such an idea. Some of you singles, and even those who have “significant others,”
out there may be wondering the exact same thing. Every year, I hear so many
people say, “The card and candy industries created Valentine’s Day so they could
make more money.”
Well, this is not the case. Valentine’s Day originates back to ancient Roman
times. On the eve of the feast of Lupercalia, each young man drew the name of a
young woman who became his sweetheart for an entire year. Since then, it has
been a day dedicated to celebrating love.
The holiday is named for Saint Valentine, a bishop under the rule of Emperor
Claudius II who forbid Christian marriages. Valentine disobeyed the ruling and
was imprisoned for marrying young couples. On the day of his execution, he wrote
a goodbye letter to a young woman whom he had befriended and signed it “from
your Valentine.” Since then, couples throughout history have sent each other
love notes that came to be called Valentines.
So whether you plan on spending a romantic evening walking to the post office
with your loved one or having a good time watching sappy romance movies with
friends, don't forget the most important part of Valentine’s Day: the fun you
have reading conversation hearts!