Valentine’s Day is one of those special days of the year where we celebrate those of us that we love and who matter most in our lives.  There are many different ways to celebrate this special day, but did you ever stop to wonder, how did this day begin, and how did some of our traditions take hold on this special day.

Thinking about this led to some searching and reading of various information and stories, but the history channel site had a pretty good synopsis of its possible beginnings, as well as how flowers grew into such an important part of Valentine’s Day.

There is more than one legend of St. Valentine.  Here are a couple worth sharing:

• One is the story of Valentine the priest during the 3^rd Century in Rome.  During this time the Emperor Claudius II decided single men made the best soldiers, so he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine performed marriages in secret until he was discovered and sentenced to death by the Emperor.
• Another story is of Valentine in prison falling in love with the daughter of the man in charge of the prison.  He would meet with her in secret, and wrote to her signing “From your Valentine”; thus writing the first Valentine greeting.  As the history channel puts it, “Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and–most importantly–romantic figure”.

Now with a little background on the holiday, when did flowers become such an integral part of Valentine’s day?  This seems to date back to the 18^th Century and King Charles II of Sweden. The King had visited Persia during his travelsand learned about the language of flowers, and how you can communicate through flowers. In this language, the red rose represents love and remains the most popular flower to give on Valentine’s Day.

Now with curiosity settled, you can celebrate this specials ay with those that are special to you, and by sharing a beautiful bouquet of flowers that will brighten up someone’s special day.