A brief step into the weeds…Many scholars believe that St. Valentine was a priest who lived around 270 AD in Rome and attracted the disfavor of Roman emperor Claudius II. The history of the holiday we celebrate on February 14th reveals that there were 14 saints named Valentine, beheadings, a preserved skull, a country that celebrates the holiday in November and even Geoffrey Chaucer. I will leave the details to the real scholars, because this is a blog for the fun stuff. I do have to admit that I never knew that St. Valentine was the patron saint of epilepsy and beekeepers.
The heart symbol is often used to express love in the form of affection, support, solidarity, and fraternity without the need for words.
No one really knows where the heart symbol comes from, but one theory is that the heart shape comes from the shape of the leaves of a now-extinct plant called silphium, which was considered a key component of a love potion in the time of the Romans. Other sources say silphium was used for birth control. Maybe St. Valentine used the symbol when arranging secret marriages. Another is that it was simply a guess of what the human heart looked like. (This last one is my favorite – it was just a guess.)
Kinda sorta like the human heart? 
If no one sent you valentines, roses or chocolates, here is some valentine trivia to cheer you.
VINEGAR
Valentine’s was a day for love notes, right? The Victorians used this day of emotional expression to send not only love poems but also “hate” mail. A vinegar valentine was a handy way to rid themselves of unwanted romantic attention. These nasty notes didn’t smell of vinegar in the same way a love letter may have had a perfumed smell, The authors could note all the things they loathed about the recipient.
BIRDS
Ornithomancy, involves reading omens by watching the actions of birds, to predict the future. As folklore evolved, the superstition became that the first bird an unmarried woman saw on Valentine’s Day was a symbol of the kind of man she would marry. A swan predicted a loyal partner for life; a dove meant she’d marry a kind-hearted person; and a blackbird signified she would marry a member of the clergy or someone who did spiritual, charitable work. Makes me wonder what would happen if she saw a vulture? Or an ostrich?
SPOONS
People in Wales commemorate Saint Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of lovers, on January 25. People exchange Welsh traditional gift: the love spoon. Starting in the 17th century, Welsh men would carefully whittle a delicate and intricately crafted wooden spoon for the woman they loved. You can still buy these gorgeous spoons.
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/655143/odd-old-timey-valentines-day-traditions
The Sublime Engine: A Biography of the Human Heart.
https://www.theholidayspot.com/valentine/history_of_valentine.htm
Loved ❤️ learning about all of this fun information. Now I need to go to trivia night and hope the subject comes up.
I want my friends to always appear smart!
You may not make me smart, but you do make me laugh
Good stuff Jeri, I appreciate the laughter
I like that you went for the fun stuff!!😍
Jeri.. loved your messages. Your vinegar valentine reminded me of a vinegar valentine that I have in my postcard collection. It’s addressed to Miss Lillian Carpenter, 264 Webster Ave., Jersey City, NJ (one cent postage) (written message to Miss Lillian) To My Valentine Sweet essents of Pepper and Garlic. Reverse side with cartoon female states… Your airs are disgusting. You titter, you simper, and you squirm about, and twirl,
And try to ape the carriage of a young and frisky girl,
With about as much success as a Jackass would attain
If he tried to do a dance in the Loie Fuller vein.
Just drop your silly antics, and please to do it quick,
For your wriggles and giggles make us all completely sick.
Pretty entertaining for an old postcard purchased for $2.00!
Happy Valentine’s Day, a bit late.
Hugs,
Sandy