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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, February 11, 2010 · 14 Love... eternal love! Share the history of St. Valentine's Day People in many countries across the world celebrate love and friendship on February 14. Couples exchange loving words, flowers, chocolates and other gifts, friends give each other tokens of comradeship and family members celebrate the love which they hold for each other. February 14 has been associated with love since Antiquity. In fact, in the calendar of ancient Greece, the month of Gamelion, which is today equivalent to the period between mid-January and mid-February, celebrated the sacred marriage of the King and Queen of the Gods, Zeus and Hera. An actual Valentine's Day first appears around the year 500. It was then a celebration of three saints with the same first name, Valentine of Rome, Valentine of Terni and a North African martyr. After this, it is not until the 14th century, during the Middle Ages, that there is a first mention in England and France of a Valentine's Day in relation to love. At that time it was believed that February 14 was the day that birds mated. It is at this point in history that lovers began to exchange tokens of their love on February 14. Today, lovers exchange greeting cards and gifts rather than handwritten poems. In fact it has been estimated that a billion cards a year are purchased around the world for Valentine's Day. But even if our way of expressing feelings has changed since the Middle Ages, the feelings them- selves have stayed the same! (NC)--There are many legends surrounding the history of St. Valentine's Day. All the various tales revolve around a noble character who lived in third century Rome named Valentine. Some say he was a selfless priest who married young soldiers to their maidens even though it was forbidden by Emperor Claudius II who thought young men made better soldiers if they had no wife and children. Yet another story tells of how St. Valentine may have been martyred for attempting to show compassion to Christians escaping harsh Roman prisons where they were often tortured. Still another tale suggests that Valentine was in prison himself and pined for his lady love, so he sent her a love letter signed "From your Valentine" before he was put to death--possibly around 270 A.D. True or not, history characterizes St. Valentine as a sympathetic, heroic, and compassionate figure. In today's modern times there are many ways to continue St. Valentine's spirit of care and compassion for others. Like St. Valentine you can show compassion by: Volunteering your time. Time is a precious commodity and when you spend it on someone who maybe doesn't get a lot of attention, like a lonely senior citizen, it will warm both their heart and yours. Feeding a hungry child. You can make a donation to give a food basket, clean water to drink, or even an art kit to make them feel happy and cared for. It's a compassionate gesture that makes an impact in a real way. It's as convenient as logging on to your computer in your own home and visiting charitable websites like www.ccfcanada.ca. Paying it forward. When someone does a good deed on your behalf, be sure to show that goodwill to another person. Don't let it stop with you, find a way to do something compassionate for someone else.