Cupid and Love

 Cupid and Valentine's Day

Who does not want to be showered with romance at least one day a year on Valentine's Day?

My husband was a romantic. He carefully and thoughtfully selected each of the hundreds of

cards he sent me when we dated that carried over into our marriage.

When did the celebration of Valentine's Day begin, and why is it a holiday? Pope Gelasius

declared February 14th St. Valentine's Day at the end of the fifth century, and King Henry VIII of

England declared it a holiday in 1537.

Red roses are associated with the Greek goddess Aphrodite,  considered a sign of love and

romance and the most often sent. It is estimated that 250 million roses will be used to express

love on this special day, and in 2021 consumers in the U.S. spent an estimated 2 billion dollars

on flowers and paid $165.00 per person on gifts for that special love.

Valentine cards were first used in the mid-1800s, and Hallmark estimates that 145 million cards

will be exchanged this year, plus the ones in the classroom.

So how did Cupid get in this picture with his bow and arrow? 

He is the Roman counterpart to the Greek goddess, Eros, the God of love, and his arrows have

tips made of Gold and lead. Legend says that if Cupid strikes someone with a gold arrow, they

will be filled with a desire and love for their lover, but if he strikes them with a lead arrow, they

fall out of love.

You think of February as love, and one would assume this month has the most marriage

proposals. Wrong! 

According to data, December is the most popular month to get engaged, while most weddings

occur in October (22%), followed by June and August, 13% each. 

All in all, it seems like all the hoopla about expressing love via flowers, cards, or chocolates, is

making several companies a lot of money. I would just as soon have a new pair of shoes, but

doesn't have to break the bank to send love. Be creative! Show love in a personal way, not just

because you are expected. An original hand-crafted card would be very special. So that you

know, the letters xoxo mean hugs and kisses and are free in a text message!

However you choose to show love, do it creatively, committedly, and with great devotion. 

While you are observing love on this day, don't forget our first love, Jesus, who gave his life

unconditionally so we could live eternally. 

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