Valentine's Day, the hype and lure of this day starts when we are in grade school. Do you remember making hearts out of red construction paper and white paper doilies? I do. When you become an adult, you find that people will go to great lengths to find their one true love. Author Mark Twain was right when he said "Love is the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired."

What is it about this day that make so very special? Valentine’s Day legends, facts and more. How did Valentine's Day get started? Why is it celebrated on February 14?

Legend: Valentine’s Day commemorate the anniversary of the death of St. Valentine, a Roman clergyman who was executed on Feb. 14, about 270 A.D., for secretly marrying couples in defiance of the emperor. Read more about Saint Valentine http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=159

Legend: Valentine’s Day began as a Roman fertility festival.

Fact: In the 1840's, Esther Allen Howland (17 August 1828 - 15 March 1904), a native of Massachusetts, began to sell the nation’s first mass-produced valentine cards. For more information on Esther Allen Howland see
http://www.emotionscards.com/museum/estherhowland.htm

My personal thoughts on Valentine's Day greeting cards are I have particularly liked over-the-top cards, Snoopy dancing with happiness is more to my liking--what can I say, I am a Snoopy kind a gal.

Did you know:

The proportion of women in the U.S. 20 to 24 years old who had never married more than doubled between 1970 and 2003—-from 36 percent to 75 percent. Changes for men in this age group increased from 55 percent to 86 percent. (Source: U.S. Census)

Attitudes on Office Romance have changed through the years. According to the results of an earlier survey by the American Management Association 67% of managers and executives do not disapprove of employees' dating in the workplace. The results come from 391 voluntary responses to a survey of 21,000 people at AMA member companies in 2003. (Source: Fortune Small Business)

There is a 'Valentine, Nebraska' and a 'Valentine, Texas'; how about 'Loving County, Texas' or 'Lovelady, Texas'. It seems that the State of Texas is just full of love.

If you forgot to send your loved one a greeting card, not to worry, these days an appropriative Valentine's card is just a click away. There are so many beautiful ecards available online, your oversight of not sending a card by post may be overlooked.

Happy Valentine's Day my friends.