Valentine’s Day is a cultural/religious holiday and is observed on February 14.
Valentine’s Day, one of the most widely observed unofficial holidays, is a day in which people exchange gifts and cards to express their affection for one another. There are several beliefs about how Valentine’s Day got started. Some people trace it to an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia. Others believe the day was set aside to honor one or more saints of the early Christian church. Still others believe it originated from the old. English belief that birds choose their mates on Feb.14. Most likely, it was a combination of all three beliefs.
Many customs are associated with Valentine’s Day, some that go as far back as the 1400s. Today, students throughout the country celebrate Valentine’s Day with parties and the exchanging of greeting cards called valentines. It’s also a day for couples to express their love to each other with gifts of flowers and candy.
Valentine’s Day is one of the most commercialized holidays in the United States today. To illustrate this, search the newspaper for ads with a Valentine’s Day theme. Make a list of items advertised, then talk about the businesses that benefit most from this special day.
Find a newspaper ad featuring Cupid, a symbol of Valentine’s Day. Cupid was the son of Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. Conduct further research on Cupid. Conclude the activity by writing a mock newspaper story about Cupid making an appearance in your town this Valentine’s Day.
St. Valentines Day Scavenger Hunt – see how many of the items listed below you can find in your newspaper.
1. Find something in the newspaper in the shape of a heart.
2. Find an activity in the newspaper that you would just “love” to do if you had the time & money.
3. Find something in the newspaper that could be classified as “out of this world”.
4. Find an unusual gift in the newspaper that you could give to someone to express “I Love You!”.
5. Find 5 items that come in pairs.
6. Find an example of something that would improve your “heartiness” or condition of being physically and mentally fit.
7. Find someone in the news who has “heart” or the quality of mind that would enable them to face danger or hardship resolutely.
8. Find someone in the news who is suffering from “heartache” caused by loss or despair. How could they be helped?
9. Find an article with “heartening” news that would inspire confidence or hope in the future.
10. Find an example of foods that would make a “hearty” or “heart healthy” meal.
11. Find an example of someone who was “heartless” or totally lacking in compassion or caring for his or her fellow man/woman.
12. Find an item in the newspapr that you would like to buy that would be a “sweetheart of a deal”.
Scavenger hunt was created by Audrey Eoff, NIE Coordinator, The Monitor, McAllen, TX.
Please note that Valentine’s Day traces it’s roots back to St Valentine of the early CATHOLIC Church, not Christian. You may wish to research St Valentine before publishing. It has nothing to do with birds.
Feastday: February 14
Patron of Love, Young People, Happy Marriages
Died: 269
Valentine was a holy priest in Rome, who, with St. Marius and his family, assisted the martyrs in the persecution under Claudius II. He was apprehended, and sent by the emperor to the prefect of Rome, who, on finding all his promises to make him renounce his faith ineffectual, commanded him to be beaten with clubs, and afterwards, to be beheaded, which was executed on February 14, about the year 270. Pope Julius I is said to have built a church near Ponte Mole to his memory, which for a long time gave name to the gate now called Porta del Popolo, formerly, Porta Valetini. The greatest part of his relics are now in the church of St. Praxedes. His name is celebrated as that of an illustrious martyr in the sacramentary of St. Gregory, the Roman Missal of Thomasius, in the calendar of F. Fronto and that of Allatius, in Bede, Usuard, Ado, Notker and all other martyrologies on this day. To abolish the heathens lewd superstitious custom of boys drawing the names of girls, in honor of their goddess Februata Juno, on the fifteenth of this month, several zealous pastors substituted the names of saints in billets given on this day.
Thank YOU.