Madison Griffin PR WRITER

Feb. 14 is a day when friends and loversshow each other appreciation and affection.Most of us celebrate this holiday because it isa social norm. Most of us don’t even knowwhy we celebrate this romantic day year afteryear. Valentine’s Day is believed to includeaspects of Roman and Christian traditions andis named after its patron, St. Valentine, char-acterized as a romantic who possibly diedaround 270 A.D. So what is the big dealabout St. Valentine and why does he receivecredit for the universal day of love?

There are several legends surrounding thelife of St. Valentine and what he did to de-serve a holiday in his honor. One such legendinfers that Valentine was a priest during thethird century of Rome where he married

young lovers. The marrying of these singlemen to their lovers was against the rules ofEmperor Claudius II. Once Valentine’s prac-tices were realized, he was sentenced todeath.

An alternative legend, andmy personal favorite, believesthat Valentine, while being im-prisoned, fell in love with hisjailor’s daughter. Prior to hisscheduled death, he sent a noteto the daughter. The note ispresumed to be the first valen-tine in which he sincerelysigned, “From Your Valentine.”This phrase is now seen on aninfinite number of greetingcards, flowers and other gifts every year.

Some believe that Valentine’s death is the

reason for declaring Feb. 14 a day of love.Others believe the reasoning is due to reli-gious celebrations that took place on this mid-February day. It is speculated that the Chris-tian church began celebrating Valentine’s feast

to try and “Christianize” theLupercalia, a pagan festivaldedicated to fertility. Around498 A.D., Pope Gelasius de-clared Feb. 14 as Valentine’sDay based on the marriagesthat took place because of aRoman system of romanticpairing.

France and England begancelebrating this day in the Mid-dle Ages, believing that since

this day was the commencement of the birds’mating season, it was romantic.

Whether Valentine’s Day began as a re-sult of a romantic saint or a collection of be-liefs over different religions and societies,one thing is for sure: Valentine’s Day has be-come one of the most celebrated days of theyear.

The holiday not only affects individual’sfeelings for one another, but also their wal-lets. According to history.com, retailers sellan average of 1 million cards, 180 millionflowers and $36 million worth of candyequaling an outstanding profit of $14 billionannually.

So for those of you who believe Valen-tine’s Day is only about showering your sig-nificant other with gifts of affection, knowthat you are not only celebrating your lovefor one another but celebrating historicalevents as well. Have a great Valentine’s Day!

Why celebrate Valentine’s Day?

KENTUCKY KERNELPR SUPPLEMENT

FEBRUARY 8, 2010 WWW.KYKERNEL.COMMONDAY

An alternative legend, and my personal

favorite, believes thatValentine, while beingimprisoned, fell in love

with his jailor’s daughter.

PHOTOSPIN

PAGE B2 | Monday, February 8, 2010

Deciding on a Valentine’s Day gift or activity can be diffi-cult for couples no matter how long you have been together.Dinner is always a popular and appropriate activity to do forthe evening.

Whether you want to spend some money on your valentineor be creative with your gift, here are some gift ideas for allof you couples depending on how long you have been dating.

1 month or less: You have not been together for long sothere is no need to go all out for the holiday. Bring flowers ifyou want and have dinner at a restaurant that has a more funatmosphere as opposed to a romantic one. Go see a movie orwatch one at one of your houses.

2-4 months: Go to dinner at a slightly more romanticrestaurant. Bring a Valentine’s Day card and write a shortmessage in it. If you’re closer to four months, thingsmight be a little more serious. If you want to

buy a gift, do not spend a great amount of money and be sureto get something your significant can enjoy with you, likeconcert tickets. If you want to go the more creative route,make a CD of songs that remind you of each other.

6 Months: Create a coupon book. The coupon book can becreated on the computer or manually. Write coupons for afree kiss, massage, a date, etc. Another idea would be to buya canvas picture frame with no decoration (can be found atany craft store or Wal-Mart) and cut out words or phrases like“love,” “kiss” and “you and me”from magazines and gluethem to the frame.Then you can

place your favorite picture of the two of you in the frame.9 Months: By this point, you have many keepsakes from

your relationship. Collect these items and put them into abox. Decorate and present this “love box” to your significantother as a reminder of the great times you have had through-out your relationship thus far.

1 Year or more: You are obviously serious in your relation-ship now. If you are spending money, jewelry, like earrings ora watch, could be appropriate. If you want to save money or

just be creative, like many do, a scrapbook is a creativeand fun way to show your love and dedication

on Valentine’s Day. You can start a scrap-book and complete several pages

each with a different theme. Pic-tures from specific holidays,

games or other eventswould be appropriate

for this.

CasualIce skatingCheck out a new restaurantIndoor batting cagesCooking class at Williams Sonoma

Movies for the single crowd

Unique Valentine’s Day

date ideasby Katie Bosworth

Gifts for your valentine Madison Griffin

PR WRITER

MoviesNew Releases at the traditional moviesIndie, art films at smaller theatersCombine dinner & a movie at the Movie TavernLocal restaurants

Natasha’s- nightly favorites and unique menu itemsPaisano’s- fine, local, intimate Italian diningAqua Sushi at Malone’s- Kentucky tradition in a classic romantic settingMerrick Inn- Kentucky favorite; intimate fine-dining restaurant

Franchised ChainsMelting Pot- fondue, entertaining dining experienceBd’s Mongolian Grill- create your own stir-fry- fun, exciting servers and diningColdstone Creamery- pick your flavor and add yourmix-ins to create a sweet treat for after dinner

Long distanceCare packagesSend a card with a gas card orflight voucher- you may not betogether on Valentine’s Day butyou’ll see each other soon

Staying inWii competitionMake dinner togetherWatch both an action flickof his choosing and everygirl’s favorite- “The Note-book”Make fun out of house-hold chores or decorating-accomplishing a task to-gether means you can seethe rewards of your day.Just relax and spend timetogether- use this day tonot leave the house andappreciate each other

1. He’s Just Not That Into You2. John Tucker Must Die3. The Breakup4. Sex and the City: The Movie5. My Bloody Valentine6. Clueless

7. Now and Then8. Mean Girls9. Fight Club10. Fatal Attraction11. In Good Company

The middle-ground movies1. Failure to Launch2. How to Lose a Guy in 10Days3. Pretty Woman4. 500 Days of Summer5. You’ve Got Mail6. When Harry Met Sally7. Love Actually8. Never Been Kissed

9. 10 Things I Hate AboutYou10. 40 Days and 40 Nights11. Knocked Up12. Bridget Jones’ Diary13. The Ugly Truth14. Forgetting Sarah Marshall15. Couples Retreat16. 27 Dresses17. Bride Wars18. The Sweetest Thing

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANDY BURRESS | STAFFromantically involved

1. The Notebook2. The Holiday3. A Walk to Remember4. Tristan and Isolde5. Sleepless in Seattle

6. P.S. I Love You7. Dirty Dancing8. Casablanca9. Titanic10. An Affair to Remember

Movies for the

Monday, February 8, 2010 | PAGE 3

“And I Love Her”- The Beatles“As Long As You Love Me”- Backstreet Boys“Because You Loved Me”- CelineDion“Can’t Help Falling In Love”- ElvisPresley“Hero”- Enrique Iglesias“Everything I Do,I Do It For You”-Bryan Adams“I Could Fall In Love”- Selena“I Will AlwaysLove You”- Whitney Houston“I Will Still Love You”- BritneySpears“My Heart Will Go On”- Celine Dion“Remember Me”- Marc Anthony“Still In Love”- Brian McKnight“Thank You For Loving Me”- Bon Jovi

“The Way You Love Me”- Faith Hill

“Your Song”- Elton John“Wonderful Tonight”- Eric Clapton“Open Arms”- Journey“Fly Me To The Moon”- Frank Sinatra“I Wanna Love You Forever”- JessicaSimpson“Always On My Mind”- Willie Nelson

“Let’s Get It On”-Marvin Gaye“Woman”- John Legend“Fallin’”- Alicia Keys“Iris”- Goo Goo Dolls

“I’ll Be”- Edwin McCain“I’ll Make Love To You”- Boyz IIMen“Thank You”- Dido“Breathe”- Faith Hill

Who says Valentine’s Day is just forcouples? Here are a few ideas for everyonewho feels like Valentine’s Day is just “Sin-gle-Awareness Day.”

Round up some of your single friendsand hit up local restaurants, bars, bowlingalleys or whatever else you can think up.Have a blast and forget about the day.

For girls, it might be Brad Pitt or JohnnyDepp. For guys, it might be Jessica Alba orMegan Fox. Regardless of your celebritycrush, spend the night watching your fa-vorite hotties on the big screen. Head out to

the movies or watch a movie at home whileeating some popcorn. You’re guaranteed tospend the night withsome serious eye candy.

Treat yourself. Sinceyou won’t be treatingyour significant other toa present, go ahead andsplurge. Get a mani/pedior buy the newest addi-tion to Madden.

Hang out with theopposite sex. There isnothing wrong with asking out someone ofthe opposite sex for a platonic date. Make

sure he or she knows that this is simply forfun and go have a good time.

Do the usual. There isno better way to get overthe V-Day blues than justdoing your normal rou-tine and pretending itdoesn’t exist. Go to work,do homework, or dosome laundry. Eventhough these optionsmight sound boring,you’ll feel better getting a

jump-start on the week instead of sulkingabout being alone.

Exercise! This will clear your mind, toneyour body and keep the endorphins flowing.You’ll also feel more relaxed and will sleepbetter.

Sleep. You can always use the night tocatch up on your sleep. Get ready for bed abit earlier and wind down sooner. Collegestudents are generally sleep deprived socatch up when you can!

Go to a party or host a party. There arealways tons of single men and women atparties ready to mingle. Forget Valentine’sDay and get ready to flirt. Who knows, youmight end up with your own sweetheart forthe night.

Singled out on Valentine’s DayBy Courtney Thomas

Treat yourself. Since youwon’t be treating your

significant other to a present,go ahead and splurge.

25 songs to mix for yourValentine’s Day playlist

Compiled by Katie Bosworth

PAGE 4 | Monday, February 8, 2010

Kelsey Caudill Journalism/English Sophomore“The best Valentine’s Daypresent would be tickets tothe UK-Tennessee game … orPatrick Patterson with a bow.”

David BakerJournalism Sophomore“The key to my heart isthrough my stomach. Thebest present would be agirl making me dinner.”

Phill BrunoJournalism Sophomore“Practically anythingfrom a gas stationwhile you’re on the wayto meet the person.”

Jordon HallJournalism Sophomore“Unlike normalgirls, stereotypical Valentine’s Day presents aren’t mything. To me, theworst would be a boxof chocolates.”

Kristina BetsworthPR COORDINATOR

Best:

Best and worst Valentine’s Day gifts

Worst: