Short, sweet look into Valentine’s Day

Sarah Horne • February 24, 2014

Even though it is known for being the holiday filled with love, it is much more to then just hearts and chocolate.

Chocolates, roses, and chapagne fly off the shelf on Valentine's Day, but the holiday is more than sweet treats. — Chocolates, roses, and champagne fly off the shelf on Valentine’s Day, but the holiday is more than sweet treats. Photo Courtesy of MCTCampus.

Valentine’s Day History

Valentine’s Day is based off of the bishop, St. Valentine, who married soldiers to their love ones when Emperor Claudius II declared soldiers were not allowed to marry, out of fear that it made them weak.

When St. Valentine was caught, he was sent to jail where he was asked by his guard to cure his blind daughter. St. Valentine was successful and he and the daughter fell in love.

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The Emperor gave him a choice to either agree with no marriage or to be killed. When St. Valentine decided to side with his own beliefs he was killed. Valentine’s Day is now a day to respect love.

To see a video about Valentine’s Day click here.

Fast Facts about Valentine’s Day

62% of Americans celebrate Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day was not associated with love and romance until the 1300s
There are one billion Valentine’s Day cards sold each year
For Valentine’s Day 220 million roses are sold
Candy, flowers, and jewelry are the top three gifts that are given for Valentine’s Day

To see where these fast facts came from and more click here.

Q & A with Isabelle Augustin, 9.

What do you think the meaning of Valentines Day is?

“Valentines Day is a time to celebrate all kinds of love. Not just romantic love but love for your family, siblings, friends and if you’re religious, then the love God has for you and the love you have for God.”

What do you think is the worst thing about Valentine’s Day

“Occasionally Valentine’s Day can seem clichéd and the real meaning behind it can be lost. People sometimes take it the wrong way and think that it is just for people dating or married and become bitter if they are single.”

What is your view on Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day is a time to be grateful for all the wonderful people in your life, whether or not it includes a boyfriend/girlfriend.

What was the best part of Valentine’s Day?

“It was awesome to be around all my friends and know that they love me for exactly who I am, in this moment.”

About the Contributor

Sarah Horne, Creative Projects Director

Hello, welcome to my profile! My name is Sarah Horne and I am a Creative Projects Director. This year marks my senior year at Sycamore High School and my fourth and final year on staff for The Leaf. Last year I was our program’s Broadcast Editor in Chief, and still enjoy creating videos. When i‘m not working on journalism stories, you can find me competing- whether it be physical or intellectual. I’m a captain of the Lady Aves Water Polo team, and am a member of the Varsity Mock Trial team. Additionally, in my free time I created a blog that I write for called type tactics.wordpress.com, and am a leader for a Red Cross International Humanitarian Law program. While I tend to keep busy, I do enjoy relaxing and watching Shakespeare plays with my family, playing with my dog name Sushi ( yes I named him that when I was five because he is white just like the rice on a California roll), and creating artwork. I hope you enjoy reading and watching all our publications here at The Leaf!