It's one great day for lovers

What a nice Valentine's Day it has been in the Heart of America. After a blustery day Sunday, temperatures today peaked in the low 60's and the gentle breezes ranged from 5 to 10 miles per hour.

The result was a serene day for sweethearts. On this nice, gentle day, local and area businesses did a thriving business of candy and flower sales, and, this evening, scores of couples have reservations at dining establishments.

And, to top it off, there are the great array of heart-felt cards shared by sweethearts.

A variety of legends explain how Valentine's Day came to be. The most prevalent dates back to 270 A.D., which is supposedly when St. Valentine, a Roman clergyman, was executed for secretly marrying couples in defiance of the emperor.

According to the World Book, the custom of exchanging Valentines on Feb. 14 can be traced to the English poet, Geoffrey Chaucer. In his writings in the late 1300s, Chaucer suggested Feb. 14 as an appropriate date for the exchange of sweet sentiments because that is the day on which birds begin to choose their mates.

But for modern day sweethearts, it is not the history that matters. It's the existence of the special day for couples to celebrate their love.

The Valentine's legend was popularized in the writings of Shakespeare, and has flowered in the last century and a half in the United States. During the 1700s, a man wore his valentine's name on his sleeve. The saying, "wearing his heart on his sleeve," probably came from this practice.

Valentine cards, first mass produced in 1840, were the start of the celebration's growth to present day standards.

Now, as was true centuries ago, there are many ways to say, "Be My Valentine." It could be a kiss, a box of chocolates, a bouquet of roses or dinner for two by candlelight. But whatever the expression, it's the thought that counts. Because this is the time for sweethearts ... a lovely day for those in love.