What wonderful memories an exciting experience makes
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but the places and moments that take our breath away"
Are you looking for that perfect date experience that will totally blow their socks off?
Tired of those boring, same ole' evening-out with your significant other?
Do you want to be responsible for creating a day of excitement they will cherish forever?
Romantic Date Idea
Here’s some out of this world date ideas and suggestions that you'll both enjoy -- an experience filled, romantically thrilling, exciting day together with your loved one. Mix and match and do something totaly new, something exciting!
Create your own day: Start off with brunch , follow up an outdoor adventure then finish up your day with a Sight Seeing Dinner Cruise. What ever you choose do, make it memorable!
Discover more Fun Date Ideas
Showing posts with label Valentine Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Valentine Day. Show all posts
5:23 PM
5:19 PM
Valentine’s Day – the U.S. Census bureau
Through the centuries, the Christian holiday became a time to exchange love messages, and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. Esther Howland, a native of Massachusetts, is given credit for selling the first mass-produced valentine cards in the 1840s. The spirit of love continues today as valentines are sent with sentimental verses, from and to young and old romantics.
Read more about the history of Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day Candy Facts:
23.8 Pounds of Candy - The average amount consumed per capita by Americans in 2008, down a bit compared to 2006 – where it was estimated 24.5 pounds were consumed by Americans per capita
Source: Current Industrial Reports
1,170 Chocolate Producers – The number of locations producing chocolate and cocoa products in 2007. These establishments employed 38,794 people. California led the nation with 143 establishments, followed by Pennsylvania with 115.
Source: County Business Patterns
3,643 Candy Stores – The number of confectionery and nut stores in the United States in 2007.
Source: County Business Patterns
Valentine’s Day Flower Facts:
19,759 - Florists Nationwide
The number of florists nation wide as of 2007. These businesses employed 93,779 people.
Source: County Business Patterns
$403 million - Domestically Produced Cut Flowers
The combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut flowers in 2008 for all flower-producing operations with $100,000 or more in sales. Among states, California was the leading producer, alone accounting for about three-quarters of this amount ($314 million).
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
$24 million – Cut Roses Produced
The combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut roses in 2008 for all operations with $100,000 or more in sales.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
Valentine’s Day Jewelry Facts:
27,484 - Jewelry Stores
Number of jewelry stores in the United States in 2007. Jewelry stores offer engagement, wedding and other rings to lovers of all ages. In February 2009, these stores sold $2.2 billion in merchandise.
Source: County Business Patterns and Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services
The merchandise at these locations could well have been produced at one of the nation’s 1,753 jewelry manufacturing establishments.
Source: County Business Patterns
Be Mine – Valentine Marriages
2.16 million Marriages in 2008
The number of marriages that took place in the United States in 2008. That breaks down to a little less than 6,000 a day.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics
112,185 – Vegas Weddings!
The number of marriages performed in Nevada during 2008. So many couples tie the knot in the Silver State that it ranked fifth nationally in marriages, even though it’s total population that year among states was 35th. (California ranked first in marriages.)
Source: National Center for Health Statistics and population estimates
73% - Marriages that Made it to their 10th Anniversary
Among women who married for the first time between 1985 and 1989, the percentage who marked their 10th anniversary. This compares with 87 percent of women who married for the first time between 1955 and 1959.
Source: Marriage and Divorce: 2004
6% Made it to Their 50th Wedding Anniversary
Sad, but true: As of 2004, the percentage of currently married women who had been married for at least 50 years is 6%.
Source: Marriage and Divorce: 2004
A First, Second, Third Chance at Love:
19% - As of 2008, 19% represents women and men who have married once, and those 15 and older who have married twice. Five percent each have married three or more times. By comparison, 76 percent of women and 75 percent of men who have ever been married have made only one trip down the aisle.
Source: 2008 American Community Survey
Online Dating
904 - Available Online Dating Services 2002
The number of dating service establishments nationwide as of 2002. These establishments, which include Internet dating services, employed nearly 4,300 people and pulled in $489 million in revenue.
Source: 2002 Economic Census
26% Internet Users Visited Personals Websites in the US
26% accounts for about 39 million Americans, visited personals website in December, 2003.
It has been found from the survey that 26 percent of internet users in the US visited personal websites in December 2003.
Source: COM score media matrix.
$302 Million Spent
It has been found from the study that in 2002, consumers spent nearly $302 million for online dating services.
Source: Online Publishers Association
The $302 million spent in 2002 is three times more than the previous year (2001). It has been found from online dating statistics that online dating services are increasing at 154% every year.
Source: US report and world report.
Love Letters / Email Relationships
Another online dating statistics from the survey by The Sunday Times indicate that “that email relationships can be far more intimate than normal dating. Women are most likely to find a potential lover online, with 72% admitting to have had an online romance, compared to 52% of men. The online dating statistics report also found that 33% of all online relationships led to a date.
Online dating statistics illustrates that email dating is more interactive than normal dating. An interesting finding from online dating stats; women are more likely to find potential lover online; men are more interested in an online romance. The study also illustrated that about 33% surveyed were able to convert online relationships to an actual date.
5:15 PM
Romantic Quotes -- Where Love Lasts All Year Long
"For this was on St. Valentine's Day,
When every fowl cometh there to choose his mate."
- Geoffrey Chaucer, The Parliament of Fowles
"Saint Valentine is past.
Begin these wood birds but to couple now?"
- William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Theseus at IV, i)
"To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day.
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine."
- William Shakespeare, Hamlet Prince of Denmark (Ophelia at IV, v)
"Love is the condition in which
the happiness of another person
is essential to your own."
- Robert Heinlein, American science-fiction writer (1907-1988)
"We come to love not by finding a perfect person,
but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly"
- Sam Keen, Love. Men and Women., American writer, philosopher (1938)
"Each moment of a happy lover's hour
is worth an age of dull and common life"
- Aphra Behn, English Novelist, Poet (1640-1689)
"Love is a promise,
love is a souvenir,
once given never forgotten,
never let it disappear."
John Lennon, Beatles singer, songwriter, political activist (1940-1980)
"Love is something eternal;
the aspect may change,
but not the essence"
- Vincent van Gogh, Dutch Painter (1853-1890)
"You know you're in love
when you can't fall asleep
because reality is finally
better than your dreams."
- Dr. Seuss, American Writer, Cartoonist (1904-1991)
"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."
- Aristotle, Greek Philosopher (384 - 322 BC)
"Age does not protect you from love.
But love, to some extent,
protects you from age."
- Anaïs Nin, French author (1903-1974)
"The best and most beautiful things
in the world cannot be seen
or even touched. They must be felt
with the heart."
- Helen Keller, Writer, US blind & deaf educator (1880 - 1968)
"It is to the credit of human nature, that, except where its selfishness
is brought into play, it loves more readily than it hates.
Hatred, by a gradual and quiet process, will even be transformed to love,
unless the change be impeded by a continually new irritation
of the original feeling of hostility."
- Nathaniel Hawthorne, Scarlet Letter. Novelist, short story writer (1804-1864)
"The best love affairs are those we never had."
- Norman Lindsay, Australian artist, writer, sculptor (1879-1969)
"Earth's the right place for love. I don't know where it's likely to go better."
- Robert Lee Frost, Birches. American poet (1874-1963)
"Since love grows within you, so beauty grows.
For love is the beauty of the soul"
- St. Augustine of Hippo, Romanized Berber philosopher and theologian (354-430 AD)
"Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it."
- Thomas Fuller, English historian (1608-1661)
"One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life.
That word is Love."
- Sophocles, Ancient Greek Tragedian (496-406 BC)
"True love is eternal, infinite, and always like itself.
It is equal and pure, without violent demonstrations:
it is seen with white hairs and is always young in the heart."
- Honoré de Balzac, French novelist and playwright (1799-1850)
"Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts"
- Oliver Wendell Holmes American Physician, Professor, Author (1809-1894)
"Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own"
- Robert Heinlein, American Science Fiction Writer. (1907-1988)
"Your words are my food, your breath my wine. You are everything to me."
- Sarah Bernhardt, French Stage/Film Actress (1844-1923)
"She walks in Beauty, like the night
Of cloudness climes and starry skies,
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes..."
- Lord Byron, a.k.a George Gordon Bryon 6th. British poet (1788-1824)
"Love never dies a natural death.
It dies because we don't know how
to replenish its source.
It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals.
It dies of illness and wounds;
it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings."
- Anaïs Nin, French Author (1903-1974)
"Whoso loves, believes the impossible."
- Elizabeth Barret Browning, Victorian era poet (1806 - 1861)
"Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking.
It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails."
- Bible, (I Corinthians 13:4-8)
"Why love if losing hurts so much? We love to know that we are not alone."
- C.S. Lewis, novelist, academic, essayist, lay theologian (1898 - 1963)
"For this was on St. Valentine's Day,
When every fowl cometh there to choose his mate."
- Geoffrey Chaucer, The Parliament of Fowles
"Saint Valentine is past.
Begin these wood birds but to couple now?"
- William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Theseus at IV, i)
"To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day.
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine."
- William Shakespeare, Hamlet Prince of Denmark (Ophelia at IV, v)
"Love is the condition in which
the happiness of another person
is essential to your own."
- Robert Heinlein, American science-fiction writer (1907-1988)
"We come to love not by finding a perfect person,
but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly"
- Sam Keen, Love. Men and Women., American writer, philosopher (1938)
"Each moment of a happy lover's hour
is worth an age of dull and common life"
- Aphra Behn, English Novelist, Poet (1640-1689)
"Love is a promise,
love is a souvenir,
once given never forgotten,
never let it disappear."
John Lennon, Beatles singer, songwriter, political activist (1940-1980)
"Love is something eternal;
the aspect may change,
but not the essence"
- Vincent van Gogh, Dutch Painter (1853-1890)
"You know you're in love
when you can't fall asleep
because reality is finally
better than your dreams."
- Dr. Seuss, American Writer, Cartoonist (1904-1991)
"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."
- Aristotle, Greek Philosopher (384 - 322 BC)
"Age does not protect you from love.
But love, to some extent,
protects you from age."
- Anaïs Nin, French author (1903-1974)
"The best and most beautiful things
in the world cannot be seen
or even touched. They must be felt
with the heart."
- Helen Keller, Writer, US blind & deaf educator (1880 - 1968)
"It is to the credit of human nature, that, except where its selfishness
is brought into play, it loves more readily than it hates.
Hatred, by a gradual and quiet process, will even be transformed to love,
unless the change be impeded by a continually new irritation
of the original feeling of hostility."
- Nathaniel Hawthorne, Scarlet Letter. Novelist, short story writer (1804-1864)
"The best love affairs are those we never had."
- Norman Lindsay, Australian artist, writer, sculptor (1879-1969)
"Earth's the right place for love. I don't know where it's likely to go better."
- Robert Lee Frost, Birches. American poet (1874-1963)
"Since love grows within you, so beauty grows.
For love is the beauty of the soul"
- St. Augustine of Hippo, Romanized Berber philosopher and theologian (354-430 AD)
"Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it."
- Thomas Fuller, English historian (1608-1661)
"One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life.
That word is Love."
- Sophocles, Ancient Greek Tragedian (496-406 BC)
"True love is eternal, infinite, and always like itself.
It is equal and pure, without violent demonstrations:
it is seen with white hairs and is always young in the heart."
- Honoré de Balzac, French novelist and playwright (1799-1850)
"Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts"
- Oliver Wendell Holmes American Physician, Professor, Author (1809-1894)
"Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own"
- Robert Heinlein, American Science Fiction Writer. (1907-1988)
"Your words are my food, your breath my wine. You are everything to me."
- Sarah Bernhardt, French Stage/Film Actress (1844-1923)
"She walks in Beauty, like the night
Of cloudness climes and starry skies,
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes..."
- Lord Byron, a.k.a George Gordon Bryon 6th. British poet (1788-1824)
"Love never dies a natural death.
It dies because we don't know how
to replenish its source.
It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals.
It dies of illness and wounds;
it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings."
- Anaïs Nin, French Author (1903-1974)
"Whoso loves, believes the impossible."
- Elizabeth Barret Browning, Victorian era poet (1806 - 1861)
"Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking.
It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails."
- Bible, (I Corinthians 13:4-8)
"Why love if losing hurts so much? We love to know that we are not alone."
- C.S. Lewis, novelist, academic, essayist, lay theologian (1898 - 1963)
5:14 PM
Why We Celebrate February 14
Every year on February 14th we collectively bestow upon our loved ones mass quantities of flowers, chocolate confections, and other gifts of passion. There are so many greeting cards exchanged in the name of love on this day that you can almost hear local forests groan. So why is it we celebrate Valentine's Day? St. Valentine, a Roman Priest who was martyred and executed on February 14, 269 A.D
The history of Valentine's Day is actually a bit of a mystery but there are a few facts and myths that have been handed down over the years. For starters, Saint Valentine is associated with the holiday and created by the Catholic Church. The church currently recognizes at least 2 different saints with the name of Valentine, one of whom was actually was buried after his death ON February 14th. From the stand point of history, they are all recognized as having been martyred for various reasons.
Stories suggest that the priest Valentine, was executed on Feb. 14th about the year 270 AD, for performing secret marriage ceremonies for soldiers in opposition of Claudius II (aka Claudius the Cruel) who prohibited marriage. The Roman Empire’s golden era was coming to an end and civil unrest required the Romans to shield itself from its aggressors. Because the emperor felt that married men were emotionally attached to their families and thus were less effective soldiers and less likely to enlist, Claudius the Cruel issued an edict that forbade soldiers from marrying and enlisted single men ensure his armies were staffed with quality soldiers.
Others say St. Valentine was responsible for sending the first "valentine" himself when he sent a note to a girl he had fallen in love and signed it "from your Valentine". Yet others say he was killed for helping Christians escape from Roman prisons.
Why do we celebrate it on February 14th? The next theory is that Valentine's Day was manufactured in order to displace the pagan holiday Feast of Lupercalia, an honor to the Goddess Juno - the Goddess of women and marriage. During the festival, women would write billets (love letters) and leave them for men to draw – lottery style. These women would then be their partner for the duration of the festival. But Pope Gelasius wanted to change this and move away from pagan ceremonies and reversed the lottery by having men and women draw names of saints they would emulate and one of those saints was St. Valentine. Obviously the men were disappointed and continued to practice of writing billets, handing to women they sought affections from. St. Valentine’s name was included in those notes to not offend the Pope.
Regardless of what you elect to believe, what we do know is this - February 14th has become a day for celebrating your love for friends and family, fertility and love and we at Valentine.com cannot find anything wrong with that!
Every year on February 14th we collectively bestow upon our loved ones mass quantities of flowers, chocolate confections, and other gifts of passion. There are so many greeting cards exchanged in the name of love on this day that you can almost hear local forests groan. So why is it we celebrate Valentine's Day? St. Valentine, a Roman Priest who was martyred and executed on February 14, 269 A.D
The history of Valentine's Day is actually a bit of a mystery but there are a few facts and myths that have been handed down over the years. For starters, Saint Valentine is associated with the holiday and created by the Catholic Church. The church currently recognizes at least 2 different saints with the name of Valentine, one of whom was actually was buried after his death ON February 14th. From the stand point of history, they are all recognized as having been martyred for various reasons.
Stories suggest that the priest Valentine, was executed on Feb. 14th about the year 270 AD, for performing secret marriage ceremonies for soldiers in opposition of Claudius II (aka Claudius the Cruel) who prohibited marriage. The Roman Empire’s golden era was coming to an end and civil unrest required the Romans to shield itself from its aggressors. Because the emperor felt that married men were emotionally attached to their families and thus were less effective soldiers and less likely to enlist, Claudius the Cruel issued an edict that forbade soldiers from marrying and enlisted single men ensure his armies were staffed with quality soldiers.
Others say St. Valentine was responsible for sending the first "valentine" himself when he sent a note to a girl he had fallen in love and signed it "from your Valentine". Yet others say he was killed for helping Christians escape from Roman prisons.
Why do we celebrate it on February 14th? The next theory is that Valentine's Day was manufactured in order to displace the pagan holiday Feast of Lupercalia, an honor to the Goddess Juno - the Goddess of women and marriage. During the festival, women would write billets (love letters) and leave them for men to draw – lottery style. These women would then be their partner for the duration of the festival. But Pope Gelasius wanted to change this and move away from pagan ceremonies and reversed the lottery by having men and women draw names of saints they would emulate and one of those saints was St. Valentine. Obviously the men were disappointed and continued to practice of writing billets, handing to women they sought affections from. St. Valentine’s name was included in those notes to not offend the Pope.
Regardless of what you elect to believe, what we do know is this - February 14th has become a day for celebrating your love for friends and family, fertility and love and we at Valentine.com cannot find anything wrong with that!
5:10 PM
The Gujarati Story of Valentine's Day.
In spite of what you have been told by everyone, the truth is that Valentine's Day originated hundreds of years ago, in India, and to top it all, in Gujarat!!
It is a well known fact that Gujarati men, specially the Patels, continually mistreat and disrespect their wives (Patelianis) . One fine day, it happened to be the 14th day of February, one brave Pateliani, having had enough "torture" by her husband, finally chose to rebel by beating him up with a Velan (rolling pin).
Yes....the same Velan which she used daily, to make chapattis for him....only this time, instead of the dough, it was the husband who was flattened.
This was a momentous occasion for all Gujarati women and a revolt soon spread, like wild fire, with thousands of housewives beating up their husbands with the Velan.
There was an outburst of moaning "chapatti-ed" husbands all over Anand and Amdavad. The Patel men-folk quickly learnt their lesson and started to behave more respectfully with their Patelianis.
Thereafter, on 14th February, every year, the womenfolk of Gujarat would beat up their husbands, to commemorate that eventful day.The wives having the satisfaction of beating up their husbands with the Velan and the men having the supreme joy of submitting to the will of the women they loved.
Soon The Gujju men realised that in order to avoid this ordeal they need to present gifts to their wives....they brought flowers and sweetmeats.
Hence the tradition began.
As Gujarat fell under the influence of Western culture, that day was called 'Velan time' day.
The ritual soon spread to Britain and many other Western countries, specifically, the catch words 'Velan time!'. Of course in their foreign tongues, it was first anglisised to 'Velantime' and then to 'Valentine'.
And thereafter, 14th of February, came to be known as Valentine's Day!
In spite of what you have been told by everyone, the truth is that Valentine's Day originated hundreds of years ago, in India, and to top it all, in Gujarat!!
It is a well known fact that Gujarati men, specially the Patels, continually mistreat and disrespect their wives (Patelianis) . One fine day, it happened to be the 14th day of February, one brave Pateliani, having had enough "torture" by her husband, finally chose to rebel by beating him up with a Velan (rolling pin).
Yes....the same Velan which she used daily, to make chapattis for him....only this time, instead of the dough, it was the husband who was flattened.
This was a momentous occasion for all Gujarati women and a revolt soon spread, like wild fire, with thousands of housewives beating up their husbands with the Velan.
There was an outburst of moaning "chapatti-ed" husbands all over Anand and Amdavad. The Patel men-folk quickly learnt their lesson and started to behave more respectfully with their Patelianis.
Thereafter, on 14th February, every year, the womenfolk of Gujarat would beat up their husbands, to commemorate that eventful day.The wives having the satisfaction of beating up their husbands with the Velan and the men having the supreme joy of submitting to the will of the women they loved.
Soon The Gujju men realised that in order to avoid this ordeal they need to present gifts to their wives....they brought flowers and sweetmeats.
Hence the tradition began.
As Gujarat fell under the influence of Western culture, that day was called 'Velan time' day.
The ritual soon spread to Britain and many other Western countries, specifically, the catch words 'Velan time!'. Of course in their foreign tongues, it was first anglisised to 'Velantime' and then to 'Valentine'.
And thereafter, 14th of February, came to be known as Valentine's Day!
