by John Moore

A former advertising agency owner for over 35 years, today John D. Moore is a branding consultant focusing on teaching, mentoring and advising small business owners. (716) 631-2023. john@jdmpromotions.com . He is also a singer/songwriter with Americana musical duo BluesRoot. He currently has a CD, “Live. Real. In the moment.” in international distribution. . www.bluesroot.net. rootmaster@bluesroot.net.

February 14

Got it circled on your calendar? I hope so...for your sake!. Pity the fool!

February 14 can turn out to be a very good day, or it can end up as a “lonely, eat the leftovers” one.

If you are confused, here is a clue. Think hugs and kisses. Picture hearts and a little guy in wings shooting arrows at clueless males and females!

And, don’t forget, February 14 IS THE DAY to give that very special person in your life a note, a card, a box of candy, a bottle of their favorite vino, and top it off with a hug and a kiss! A dreamy rendition of “I love you” is a good idea too!

February 14 is Valentine’s Day. If you forget, it will be a long cold winter. But, if you remember...ah, the romance.

Okay, so how did it all begin?

There are a lot of conflicting views on the beginnings of Valentine's Day, but most date the holiday from the days of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14 was a holiday in honor of Juno, the Goddess of women and marriage. Hey guys, see the connection?

There is another group of historians who believe that the holiday dates back to St. Valentine, a Roman who refused to give up Christianity.

Either way, the day has endured as a day dedicated to...well, guys and gals getting together. The evolution of the day’s observance has seen to that.

As the centuries rolled by, February 14 became the date associated with the central theme of exchanging love messages. St. Valentine became known as the patron saint of lovers.

Traditions developed around the world. Recognition grew specific to each nation and its unique culture, but all traditions contain the central message, love, in case you still do not see the point, in one way or another.

In ancient Rome one of the customs of young people was a festival and the drawing of a name of a young girl from those written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl's name. The young man and woman would then be partners for the duration of the festival. Of course, sometimes they would end up partners for a lot longer!

In old England, many children dressed up as adults on Valentine's Day. They went singing from home to home. I don’t get that one!

In Wales,wooden love spoons were carved with heart decorations and given as gifts. According to lore, the tradition meant, "You unlock my heart!"

In other cultures, young men and women drew names from a bowl. They would then wear these names on their sleeves for one week. From that came the saying, he or she wears his/her heart on his/her sleeve!

In some countries, if a young woman received, and kept, a gift of clothing from a young man, it meant she would marry him. Kind of a precursor to our newest tradition, the pre-nuptial agreement!

Superstitions arose from the event of course.

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. Sounds kind of “flighty” to me.

I wonder what would happen if the young woman saw a skunk? Just wondering.

In the United States, Miss Esther Howland is given credit for sending the first valentine cards. Commercial valentines were introduced in the 1800s. That, of course, has given rise to the entire spectrum of commercial businesses taking advantage of the observance of the day.

I could go on of course, but time is getting short, and I want to design the perfect card for the very special person in my life.

February 14. Don’t want to miss that day. It could turn out to be a “goody.”