Valentines Day Gift

The History of Valentine's Day

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Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones
One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Saint Valentine as a priest at the temple during the reign, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be jailed and put to death. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honor St. Valentine.
Some states that it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity also attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured. Who was then killed and died on February 14, 269 A.D., this day had been devoted to love giving.
Some says that actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter who visited him during his confinement, whom he fell in love with. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed "From Your Valentine" an expression that is still in use today.
While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial.
Others claim that the Christian church may celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping and sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. The festival begin with members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification.The boys then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goathide strips. Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. All the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn, city's bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. The Roman 'lottery' system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February "Valentine's Day" should be a day for romance. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year (the first was Christmas).Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages (written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400), and the oldest known Valentine card is on display at the British Museum. The first commercial Valentine's Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in the 1840s by Esther A. Howland. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap".

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Friday, March 12, 2010

December Birthstone Valentines Gift! Tanzanite / Blue Topaz

December Birthstone Valentines Gift!
This is such a wonderful idea of giving birthstone Valentine's day gifts for that someone special!
I will try to list as correctly as possible each bithstones for each month.
December Birthstone - Tanzanite / Blue Topaz
December's Birthstone: Tanzanite or Blue Topaz.
Tanzanite - It's blue-lavender color is rather unique. Nearly all tanzanite has been heat treated to generate the beautiful violet-blue color.
Blue Topaz - This beautiful blue gemstone is also the traditional gemstone for a couple’s fourth wedding anniversary. The natural blue topaz is quite rare. Typically clear topaz gems are treated with radiation and then heated to get that gorgeous blue color.

FOR HIM:
Tanzanite:
14K White Gold Genuine Oval Tanzanite Men's Men's Ring!
14K Yellow Gold Genuine Oval Tanzanite and Diamond Men's Men's Ring!

Blue Topaz:
10k Gold Satin Stripe Men's Comfort Fit Stone Ring, w/ 0.06 Carat Brilliant Cut Diamonds & 1.75 Carats Oval Cut (9x7mm) Blue Topaz Stone, 7/16" (11mm) wide!
14K White Gold Genuine Round Blue Topaz and Diamond Men's Men's Ring!

FOR HER:
Tanzanite:
1.07 cttw 14k White Gold Genuine Tanzanite and Diamond Pendant in 14k White Gold!
14K White Gold Genuine Heart Tanzanite Stud Earrings!

Blue Topaz:
14k White Gold Swiss Blue Topaz Teardrop Earrings!
2.02 cttw 14K White Gold Genuine Blue Topaz and Diamond Heart Pendant in 14k White Gold!

More Tanzanite:

More Blue Topaz:

Tag: tanzanite-blue-topaz-decvember-birthstone

Tanzanite / Blue Topaz December Birthstone Share on Facebook

Friday, February 19, 2010

November Birthstone Valentines Gift! Citrine

November Birthstone Valentines Gift!
This is such a wonderful idea of giving birthstone Valentine's day gifts for that someone special!
I will try to list as correctly as possible each bithstones for each month.
November Birthstone - Citrine / Topaz
November's Birthstone: Citrine or Yellow Topaz. The traditional november birthstone is Citrine, but the mystical tradition uses the Topaz. Some traditions use the Diamond.
Citrine is a quartz crystal, or cluster of quartz crystals, that is orange to yellow in color. Although often cut as a gemstone, citrine is actually somewhat rare in nature.. Usually citine, in its natural form, is actually a paler yellow. Heating darkens the color and give it the more desireable orange/yellow color. For this reason citrine jewelry should be kep away from prolonged expusure to light or heat.

FOR HIM:
14K White Gold Genuine Oval Citrine and Diamond Men's Ring!
14K Yellow Gold Genuine Emerald-cut Citrine Men's Ring!

FOR HER:
FOJO's Diamonds in Silver Genuine Citrine Cushion Cut Ring (.10 ct. tw.)!
Sterling Silver slide pendant w/ round bezel set Genuine Citrine stone!

Citrine November Birthstone Share on Facebook

Thursday, February 18, 2010

October Birthstone Valentines Gift! Opal

October Birthstone Valentines Gift!
This is such a wonderful idea of giving birthstone Valentine's day gifts for that someone special!
I will try to list as correctly as possible each bithstones for each month.
October Birthstone - Opal
The October Birthstone is the Opal. While opal is generally white or colorless, it may also be pale yellow, pale red, gray or black when impurities are common. Diffraction can cause flashes of any color of the rainbow (opalescence).

FOR HIM:
14K White Gold Genuine Oval Opal Men's Men's Ring!
14K Yellow Gold Genuine Emerald-cut Opal and Diamond Men's Men's Ring!

FOR HER:
1.00 cttw Genuine Oval Opal Earrings - 14kt White Gold LIFETIME WARRANTY!
1.50 cttw Genuine Opal Heart Shaped Pendants - 14kt White Gold LIFETIME WARRANTY!

Opal October Birthstone Share on Facebook

Monday, February 8, 2010

September Birthstone Valentines Gift! Sapphire

September Birthstone Valentines Gift!
This is such a wonderful idea of giving birthstone Valentine's day gifts for that someone special!
I will try to list as correctly as possible each bithstones for each month.
September Birthstone - Sapphire
The September birthstone, Sapphires are well known among the general public as being blue, but can be nearly any color except shades of red or pink. Sapphire is also the Zodiac stone for the constellation of Taurus the Bull, also given for anniversaries of the 5th, 23rd, and 45th years of marriage. For the 65th anniversary a star sapphire is given.
Sapphires are extremely durable (only diamond and moisannite are harder).
Husbands and wives in ancient times frequently exchanged gifts of sapphires. Although the fact that sapphires represent sincerity and faithfulness was undoubtedly the primary reason it was a popular marriage gift, another motive may have been at work: it was believed that a sapphire would not shine if worn by someone who was wicked or impure. Sapphires were considered to be so powerful they continued to protect the original owner even after being sold. It's the guardians of love. When exchanged with a loved one, Sapphires enhance feelings for one another and attunes the two psyches. Sapphires have the power to banish envy and jealousy, and are said to promote chastity in virgins and fidelity in marriage.

FOR HIM:
Men's Created Sapphire and Diamond Ring!
Star Sapphire Men's Ring with Diamonds in 10K Yellow Gold!

FOR HER:
2.02 cttw Created Sapphire and Genuine Diamond Heart Pendant in 14k White Gold!
3.00 cttw 14K White Gold Plated 925 Sterling Silver Heart Created Sapphire Earring Studs!

Sapphire September Birthstone Share on Facebook

Sunday, February 7, 2010

August Birthstone Valentines Gift! Peridot

August Birthstone Valentines Gift!
This is such a wonderful idea of giving birthstone Valentine's day gifts for that someone special!
I will try to list as correctly as possible each bithstones for each month.
August Birthstone - Peridot
Peridot is the birthstone for August and the Zodiac stone for the constellation Libra (astrological sources refer to peridot as Chrysolite). In addition to this honor the Peridot is also given as the 16th anniversary gem.
A beautiful green to yellow-green in color, the peridot is often mistake for an emerald. In fact, legend has it that Queen Cleopatra preferred Peridot over other gems and that some of her "Emeralds" may have been Peridot. Emeralds, though, don't have the yellow tint and tend to be a darker green.
Legend has it that most gemstones have some sort of magical power (and crystal healers use these powers) associated with them. Because of this people will work peridot and the other birthstones into birthstone charms, pendants, rings, and all sorts of other jewelry. What better way to get the full benefits of your birthstone than by wearing it?

FOR HIM:
10k White Gold Satin Design Men's Ring, w/ Brilliant Cut Diamonds & Oval Cut (8x6mm) Peridot Stone, 3/8" (9.5mm) wide!
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31OfRlpTwML._SL160_.jpg!

FOR HER:
SPARKLING 1.45 CARAT GENUINE PERIDOT & DIAMOND 14K GOLD RING!
10k Choice of White or Yellow Gold, August Birthstone, Peridot and Diamond Heart Pendant!