Valentines Day Newsletter 2009

Valentines Day 2009
Editor: Megan Princess Megan Rose 10 Years
Assistant Editor: Angel Angel

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Hello Everyone: Happy Valentines Day! How is everyone? This has been an awful winter! There is so much snow and ice that I keep looking for polar bears! Angel and I want Spring! Angel is still making beautiful sigs and images. I have been busy with Cissy's Native American Writing Class. Valentines Day is upon us. My husband Ray and I are thinking about going to Four Winds Casino and go to one of their fancy restaurants there. We don't spurge too often but Valentines Day is special. Angel and Phillip go out to eat, too on special occasions. Are you ready for Valentines Day? We are going to talk about the history of Valentines Day and share some memories and we have a poem submitted from Vicki. A lovely poem. The history which we are going to write about was submitted from: Dottie Angel and I hope you enjoy this issue.

Everyone loves Valentine Cards, chocolates and flowers on Valentines Day. Who do we thank for this sweet romantic holiday? St. Valentine.

One legend states that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century of Rome. It was decided that single men make better soldiers then married men, so marriage was outlawed for young men by Emperor Claudis II. Valentine performed marriages in secret for young men and women. When Claudis found out, he ordered that Valentine be put to death.

Other legends say that Valentine was killed for helping Christians escape harsh Roman prisons.

According to legend, Valentine sent out the first Valentine himself. Valentine fell in love with a young woman who visited him in prison. Before his death, he had a letter sent to her that he signed: "From Your Valentine." Valentine has been considered a romantic figure and a hero.

Some believe that Valentines Day was started in February in honor of St. Valentines' death. Others say that it was the beginning of Spring and the Church held a feast at this time in an effort to "Christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. It was also a day for purification. It was also a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman God of agriculture as well as the Roman founders, Romulus and Remus.

A Roman lottery system was where the young single women placed their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would choose a name out of the urn and be paired off for the year with the young woman whose name he had chosen. These matches often ended in marriage. Pope Gelasius said this was un-christian and this Roman Lottery came to an end. France and England claimed that February 14 was the day for "birds mating season." This was also the day of romance. King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois whom he loved.

Valentines Day was celebrated around the seventeenth century in Great Britain. In the eighteenth century, friends and lovers of all social classes exchanged handwritten notes. Printed cards later replaced letters. in the 1840's in America. Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.She made valentines with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap." THIS SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME TECHNIQUE USED IN SCRAPBOOKING! YES! For all you scrapbookers out there like me"Megan"}

85 percent of valentines are purchased by women. {After all, woman are the ROMANTIC ones. Women are the ones who write 3/4 of the romance novels.}Valentines Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Australia and the United States.

Valentine Greetings go back to the Middle Ages. The oldest known Valentine Card is on display at the British Museum. According to the Greeting Cards Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year. Christmas, 2.6 billion Christmas cards are sent out.

Thanks, Dotty, for the information. You are a treasure!

A poem from Vicki:

ID: 1209978   (Rated: 18+) Brown Heggs, Close To February  A poem about my lover, nearing Valentine's Day by Feather Duster

Thanks, Vicki for the lovely poem. A poem to cherish!

Megan's Valentine Memories:

I always got valentines from friends in school. It was always nice to get a valentine from a guy that you had a crush on. I saved all the valentines my grandmother and great grandmother sent. These are priceless since my grandparents and great grandparents are no longer alive. I was looking through a box of cards that I saved and I found a picture of Donny Osmond that a friend Janet had sent me. Donny was just a kid back then and me, too My mother bought me a stuffed cat and perfume. A boyfriend in college got me a pearl necklace. Another boyfriend sent me a dozen red roses. My husband bought me a stuffed cat in a little basket this year. Over the years, he bought me a ruby ring, emerald ring and lets me pick out an item when we are out shopping before Valentines Day. I have picked out a porcelain doll or a Barbie Doll. I collect dolls. My husband is always thoughtful about holidays. Sometimes, we go to my favorite restaurant and I let that be my present.This year, I baked a chocolate Valentine Heart cake and put lavender frosting on it. I baked chocolate cupcakes and put lavender, purple and rose frosting on them. I got the idea from Martha Stewart and thought I would try my hand at art. Dying frosting is a mess but the cupcakes were pretty and tasted good!

Angel and I wish you a Happy Valentines Day. If you have any ideas for a newsletter, please let us know. Happy Valentines Day! Love: Megan and Angel

All Sigs and Images done by: Angel

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