Riverside

Valentine’s Day is this Sunday. Are you prepared? These days, when we think of Valentine’s Day we think of flowers, greeting cards and chocolates. (Don’t get us wrong, we love all those things and will be getting them for our significant others.) This holiday, as most holidays do, actually has its origins in religion, in this case as a liturgical celebration of one of the early Christian saints named Valentinus. Valentine’s Day first became associated with romance and love during the time of Geoffrey Chaucer in the late Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love first flourished. By the time of 18th century England, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers, and hopeful lovers, expressed their affection by presenting flowers, offering candies and sending amorous cards. That tradition carries on today. Hence, the “are you prepared” question. read more...