Photo: February 2009

Monday, February 16, 2009

St. Valentine's Day Wallpapers Gallery

It is said that Emperor Claudius was hard-hearted king who continuously engaged Rome in bloody battles. But in order to keep fighting, he needed to keep recruiting soldiers. However, to his disappointment Claudius found that men were not willing to join army because of their attachment with their wives and families. In order to get rid of the issue, Claudius passed a callous decree that banned engagements and marriages in Rome. He also said that any priest who married a young couple would be put to death

Some also believe that because of his good behavior Valentine was even given a chance by Claudius to change his faith. But Valentine not just refused, he tried to convert Claudius to Christianity. This enraged Claudius and he finally passed orders for his execution. Saint Valentine was beheaded on February 14 269 AD or 270 AD.

Even at the cost of his life, Valentine stood against the unjustified order and secretly arranged marriages with the help of Saint Marius. When Claudius finally found out about Valentine's defiance, he was brutally beaten up and put to prison. Later, Valentine was put to death on February 14, about 270 AD. For his martyrdom and service towards lovers Valentine was named a saint after his death.

It is said that day's before his execution, Valentine prayed for his sweetheart and she regained her eyesight. Valentine also wrote a farewell note to jailer's daughter a signed it ¡°From Your Valentine¡±. This phrase became quite popular amongst the lovers and is still very much in vogue. Some scholars say we remember his death on Valentine's death by sending kind messages to our friends.

But it was actually due to the efforts and daring of a priest St Valentine that the festival got its name and clearer meaning. The story goes that during the reign of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in several bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius found it tough to get soldiers and felt the reason was men did not join army because they did not wish to leave their wives and families. As a result Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. A romantic at heart priest of Rome Saint Valentine defied Claudius's unjustified order. Along with Saint Marius, St Valentine secretly married couples. When his defiance was discovered, Valentine was brutally beaten and put to death on February 14, about 270 AD. After his death Valentine was named a Saint.

Yet another popular version of the legend states that while in prison Valentine or Valentinus fell in love with jailer's daughter who visited him during confinement. Before his death Valentine wrote a farewell letter to his sweetheart from the jail and signed ¡®From your Valentine'. The expression became quite popular amongst love struck and is still very much in vogue.

Happy Valentine's Day - You have the key to my heartValentine TraditionsHundreds of years ago in England, many children dressed up as adults on Valentine's Day. They went singing from home to home. One verse they sang was: Good morning to you, valentine;Curl your locks as I do mineTwo before and three behind.Good morning to you, valentine.

This popular notion further helped to link Valentine's Day - celebrated in the middle of the February, with love and romance. Over the period of time, St Valentine became the patron saint of lovers and they began to celebrate Valentine's Day as a day of romance by exchanging love notes and simple gifts such as flower.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Happy Valentine's Day 2009

Valentines Day in present times has become a huge craze especially amongst the youth in countries around the world. Those in love start planning for the Valentine's Day celebrations with sweetheart days before the festival while those without a lover start looking for a date so that they are able to celebrate the day in the much-romanticized manner. Hype for the festival is further built up by the media and the rigorous advertising campaign run by the cards and gifts markete

The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend in average twice as much money as women.

Since 2001, the Greeting Card Association has been giving an annual "Esther Howland Award for a Greeting Card Visionary." The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. The association estimates that women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines.

Big hype and euphoria for the Valentine's Day festival has made the occasion a multi-million dollar industry. The festival has turned out to be the biggest card-selling holiday after Christmas in US as youngsters prefer to buy not just one but several cards for their sweetheart and also for their parents, teachers, siblings, friends and other loved ones. Of course the festival is not just restricted to cards in the present consumerist society. People also buy loads of chocolates that come in Valentine's Day special romantic packing besides big bouquets of flowers, in spite of the fact that prices of flowers sky rocket on Valentine's Day because of the huge demand. Other popular Valentine's Day gifts include shirts, wallets and perfumes for men and jewelry, jewelry boxes, stuffed toys and romantic show pieces for women.

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!

While most people go out of their way to celebrate the day of love and romance, there are many that are very much against the festival. Some feel there is no reason to celebrate love on one particular day as love is to be cherished on all days of the year. People are also very much against the excessive commercialization of the festival. In several countries such as India, womenfolk experience the trauma of eve teasing on the day. Several societies are very much against the festival as they feel it is the ploy by multinationals to impose western cultures on conservative eastern world.

Euphoria for Valentine's Day can be felt days before the festival when the market places start exuding the spirit of the romantic festival. Shops selling cards, flowers and other romantic gifts can be seen decked with Valentine's Day symbols of hearts, cards, rose and cupid. In modern times, jewelers too, try to lure lovers with attractive schemes and bold displays of innovate and eye-catching jewelry. Florists, who get their best business in this time of the year, lure customers with big and beautiful bouquets of exotic flowers.

The most popular way of celebrating Valentine's Day is to go for a romantic date with sweetheart. One can find parks and restaurants thronged by lovers holding hands and expressing love. Valentine's Day special parties are also organized by hotels and discotheques to give the lovers an opportunity to celebrate. These days, romantic getaways are turning out to be extremely popular way of celebrating Valentine's Day.
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Thursday, February 12, 2009

Computer Art Design: Flowers

Phalaenopsis lindenii is a species of plant in the Orchidaceae family. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.