February: The Month of Love

February is known as the Month of Love, and as most of us know, Valentine's Day is on the 14th! Flowers, candy, candlelit dinners for two... I remember when I was single, being an unromantic romantic, I did not need flowers or candy or romantic dinners, but when there was no "certain someone", then for some reason, this day can be brutal for the single person! The history of Valentine's Day is a bit shaky. The day was indeed named after Saint Valentine, though there were three of them. One story suggests that an ancient Roman Emperor, Claudius II, believed unmarried men made better soldiers, so he banned young men from marrying. Valentine, a priest, felt this was an injustice to young lovers and performed marriages in secret. When Claudius II found out about this, Valentine was ordered to death! Then, there is Cupid! He was the God of Love in Roman Mythology; his mother was Venus. There is a story where Venus was jealous of the beauty of a mortal, named Psyche. Venus sent Cupid to punish Psyche for her good looks, but Cupid fell in love with her instead. Colors are often associated with this month. Red has often been associated with sex and passion, and pink with love. Certain foods have also been known to help stimulate love within us.