When we think of the month of February, we think of Valentine’s Day long before we consider that it is also the month that we celebrate two powerful country leaders – President George Washington and President Abraham Lincoln. And, of course, we must not forget our dependence on a furry little critter (the gopher) who determines whether we have more days and weeks of winter. So February is a busy month for many reasons.

As much as we honor our noted presidents and furry friend, let’s give a nod to Valentine’s Day and what it represents. This day is also known as Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, which is a celebration observed in many countries around the world, although not a public holiday in most of them. It began as a celebration of one or more of the early Christian saints named Valentinus, who often had martyrdom stories invented. One, in particular, focuses on one of the Valentinus who was imprisoned for ministering to Christians who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. According to legend, during his imprisonment, he healed the daughter of his jailer and before his execution, he wrote her a letter and signed it, “Your Valentine.”

This day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the Middle Ages when the tradition of courtly love flourished and then in the 18th century England included the expression of love to be flowers, confectionery and greeting cards. In the next few blogs, we will focus on some of the most beautiful love songs of our times.