Flowers:
Giving her a simple but beautiful bouquet of flowers this Valentine's Day will definitely leave your girlfriend or wife, feel loved and appreciated. Pick out a simple bouquet of red or pink roses or if you know her favourite type of flowers, buy a bouquet of those with a simple note attached. Arrange the flowers as a surprise by arranging for the flower company to send the flowers to her work or her house before she leaves home. On the note attached, make sure you write a sweet short note which will keep her anticipating the evening ahead.
Something Sweet:
Giving her a box of her favourite sweets or treats can be another simple gift for her on Valentine's Day. Buying a box of chocolates is very cliché and doesn't really show that you've put much thought into her present. So instead, buy her some of her favourite sweets, put them all in a small jar and decorate with glitter and ribbons. Get creative. It will show the thought you have put into your gift rather than just buying her another box of chocolates at the last minute from the local supermarket.
Something Sparkly:
Women love jewellery but this Valentine's Day how about buying something different than the usual diamond earrings, necklace and ring. Handmade jewellery makes the perfect meaningful gift, so how about buying her some handmade silver bangles, charm bracelets, necklaces or even a customised jewellery box. She'll have a gift which is totally original and unique which was carefully thought of for her.

Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honour Juno. Juno was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia.

The lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate. However, one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl's name from the jar and would then be partners for the duration of the festival with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry.

Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, about the year 270. At that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honour of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed.

The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome endeavoured to do away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the names of saints for those of maidens. And as the Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors appear to have chosen Saint Valentine's Day for the celebration of this new feaSt. So it seems that the custom of young men choosing maidens for valentines, or saints as patrons for the coming year, arose in this way.


Claudius wanted to have a big army. He expected men to volunteer to join. Many men just did not want to fight in wars. They did not want to leave their wives and families. As you might have guessed, not many men signed up. This made Claudius furious. So what happened? He had a crazy idea. He thought that if men were not married, they would not mind joining the army. So Claudius decided not to allow any more marriages. Young people thought his new law was cruel. I thought it was preposterous! I certainly wasn't going to support that law!
Did I mention that I was a priest? One of my favourite activities was to marry couples. Even after Emperor Claudius passed his law, I kept on performing marriage ceremonies -- secretly, of course. It was really quite exciting. Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride and groom and myself. We would whisper the words of the ceremony, listening all the while for the steps of soldiers.
One night, we did hear footsteps. It was scary! Thank goodness the couple I was marrying escaped in time. I was caught. (Not quite as light on my feet as I used to be, I guess.) I was thrown in jail and told that my punishment was death.
I tried to stay cheerful. And do you know what? Wonderful things happened. Many young people came to the jail to visit me. They threw flowers and notes up to my window. They wanted me to know that they, too, believed in love.
One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit me in the cell. Sometimes we would sit and talk for hours. She helped me to keep my spirits up. She agreed that I did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and going ahead with the secret marriages. On the day I was to die, I left my friend a little note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. I signed it, "Love from your Valentine."
I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day. It was written on the day I died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. But most importantly, they think about love and friendship. And when they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh -- because they know that love can't be beaten!

Good morning to you, valentine;
Curl your locks as I do mine ---
Two before and three behind.
Good morning to you, valentine.
In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favourite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!"
In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.
In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man. If she keeps the gift, it means she will marry him.
Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.
A love seat is a wide chair. It was first made to seat one woman and her wide dress. Later, the love seat or courting seat had two sections, often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sit together -- but not too closely!
Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off.
Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have.
If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will also know how many children you will have.

Chocolate
Valentine's Day is the best time for you to say "I love you" to your beloved one. And a box of chocolate could tell him or her how happy and sweet to be with him or her. No matter the chocolates are in the shape of heart or flower, they can bring your sweetness and appreciation to the one you loved. So don't hesitate, get a box of chocolate for your beloved ones at once.
Jewelry
Nowadays, jewelry, especially brand jewellery such as Tiffany jewelry, has become an indispensable ornament for both men and women. So if you do really have no idea what to send as Valentine's Day gift, jewelry would be a good choice. Just make sure that the jewelry you choose is distinctive and attractive.
Flower
Flower is a sure shot to provoke delight and win the heart of the one you loved on Valentine's Day since flower makes the day full of romance and happiness. Although both rose and lily are sound choice, you have to choose flowers according to the preference of your beloved ones.

Since ages, roses are used as a symbol to express chaste and divine feeling of love towards one another. Beautiful red colored roses with velvety petals opening up in harmony is the best gift to compliment the beauty of your loved one. With the increased demand of everything to be customized as per the occasion, the floral business is also facing a broader spectrum. There are many hybrid varieties of roses available these days in the market which has all the charm of traditional roses yet have some more added features like deep colors, fragrance and durability.
Along with the color you gift, the number of roses you gift also carries a meaning with it. A fresh long cut single rose looks as stunning as the bouquet of roses. Adding a customized message onto it will make it your perfect Valentine gift. There are different types and colors of roses available, meant to be gifted on Valentines Day depending upon your relationship with the person. Fully blossomed red color flower will depict your mature and unconditional love whereas a red bud will depict the love at first sight kind of feeling. Let us see what different colors of roses denote:
Red Roses: It symbolizes love and romance. It is an apt gift to be given on Valentine's Day to the one you love deep from you heart. There are various shades and forms of these red roses available as per your choice.

ust like anniversaries, Valentine's day may also require cheap and romantic gift ideas. Valentine's Day would always be a day for all lovers and for those people who want to show their affection to someone. In spending this day, our goal is to see our partner or loved one happy and smiling as we present our Valentine's gift to him or her without spending that much. As you read along this article, discover more ideas on some cheap Valentine's Day gifts that you can give to your partner.
There are many cheap Valentine's Day gifts that you can give to your partner or loved one. It can be very comprehensive and encompassing. It does not needed to be very luxurious as a gift. What matter most is that you have exerted your effort on the gift. Here are some great gift ideas that you can present to your partner or loved one on Valentine's Day:

• Personalized mugs filled with some exotic flavors of coffee
• Photo collage that is handmade reminding all your precious moments together
• A bottle of wine that you can share together during a romantic dinner of candle light
• A dry fruit basket that is beautifully decorated
• A bunch of nice and yummy chocolates
• A pen set
• Going out to watch a romantic and heart-throbbing movie that will set the mood of you and your partner for any romance
• If your partner or loved one is a music lover, music CDs and DVDs would be a perfect gift
• If your partner or loved one is a beauty geek, a set of grooming products would be a better gift
• Fashionable wallets and handbag
• Classy imitation of jewelry
• Twelve pieces of long stem roses that are packed in elegant sleeves and attractive gift box. It would look best if accented with greenery leaves.
• A pink heart box filled with cookies and chocolate truffles. It can be added with pink ribbons for additional attractions.

When it comes to getting your husband or boyfriend something for Valentines Day, sometimes it can be complicated. The field is wide open with regard to original gifts. Guys like all types of gifts, personal or otherwise. Guys also love useful gifts or gifts which are guilty pleasures. As long as you make it known that you appreciated him with a gift, he is sure to enjoy it. Guys enjoy being remembered and guys also love to be pleasantly surprised. This is one good reason a guy will not typically give a girl a list of items that he would like. Most guys really don't truly know what they really want specifically.
The initial item that could be a distinctive gift would be a membership to the Beer of the Month Club. A membership to the Beer of the month Club makes for a very good Valentines Day Idea for husband or boyfriend, especially if he loves a fantastic brew. The normal beers that guys drink are Budweiser, Miller High Life, Heineken, Pabst Blue Ribbon and Beck's. The Beer of the Month Club will keep little known beers in the front of his mind and increase his exposure to new forms of flavors and tastes.