Forget the traditional Valentine's Day flowers and chocolates. There is a much more modern way of telling someone you love them.
Histroy of Valentine's day: Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday?The history of Valentine's Day -- and its patron saint -- is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.
Mid February was traditionally the time of the Lupercian festival, an ode to the God of fertility and a celebration of sensual pleasure, a time to meet and court a prospective mate. In AD 496, Pope Gelasius outlawed the pagan festival. But he was clever to replace it with a similar celebration, although one deemed morally suitable. He needed a "lovers" saint to replace the pagan deity Lupercus.The martyred Bishop Valentine was chosen as the patron saint of the new festival.
Saint Valentine had been beheaded for helping young lovers marry against the wishes of the mad emperor Claudius. Before execution, Valentine himself had fallen in love with his jailer's daughter. He signed his final note to her, "From Your Valentine", a phrase that has lasted through the centuries. While not immediately as popular as the more passionate pagan festival, eventually the concept of celebrating true love became known as Valentine's Day.
For the cash strapped, the best way to send your message is through an online card. When you send a card to your loved one, a specific code carries your sweet message to the server at the other end. Depending on the date and time, the recipient's server will list it in descending order.
A copy will reach the sender too. And all this happens within a matter of seconds.
You can also check whether your loved one has actually viewed your e-card. The server generates an automatic e-mail as the card is viewed.
Here are some popular online card sites:
