Love is better shared

Heart of roses

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." - Helen Keller

I wonder how this tradition even occurred, cause when I was younger we didn't celebrate Saint Valentine´s Day also known as Valentine´s Day. This demands for an explanation, well I live in Denmark and in the past years, we have tried to copy as much american culture as possible and Valentine´s Day was one of them.

You might be critical upon how a nation just copy a foreign tradition, but it was actual a supermarket called Netto, that introduced this tradition to the danish people. It all began with heart shaped pasta and other love related groceries in the 1990s, but many danish men still blame the florists, cause of their increased earnings on that specific day.

My favorite historical beginning of Valentine´s Day, is a story about a Catholic martyr called Valentine, who served as a priest during the third century in Rome. Rome was at that time ruled by Emperor Claudius II, whom decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families. Claudius therefore outlawed marriage for young men, but Valentine defied the Emperor and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine´s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Latte art poured in a heart

A more possible story is of another Valentine, whom was killed for attempting to help Christians escape the tough Roman prisons, where they often were beaten and tortured. The imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first greeting card himself after he fell in love with a young girl, who visited him during his confinement. Right before his death, he wrote a letter signed "From your Valentine" an expression that is still in use today.

The different stories about the Valentine´s Day origin is doubtful, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and most importantly a romantic figure. Once a year people, mostly men are forced or inspired to think about, reveal and share their love to their soul mates. The pictures attached to this article is one way of sharing your love, I will definitely serve a cup of these for my love this morning.

May the ideas and innovation be with you guys!

// Hendrup