Valentine's Day

Be Ready!

Get ready for Valentine's Day

Valentine's day is a special and magical date celebrated by romantic couples globally. Every year, loved ones come together to express and convey their deepest feelings in a multitude of ways, ranging from simple to elaborate.

The holiday is celebrated on the 14th of February and is known as the day when lovers declare their feelings by sending each other gifts and gestures such as cards, letters, flowers and chocolate. The holiday derives from Christian martyrs named St Valentine. Many early Christian martyrs were named Valentine. Saint Valentine gradually became the patron saint of love and people associated this religious icon with love, endurance and fertility.

In medieval times, Saint Valentine became associated with courtly love and devotion. Knights in shining armor performed brave and heroic deeds to impress the ladies of the court. Shakespeare, the most brilliant love poet of all time, first referenced Valentine's Day in Hamlet. The character Ophelia, who is deeply and tragically in love with Hamlet, talks about standing at his window and declaring her love for him on Valentine's Day.

In modern society, it is estimated that over 1 billion declarations of love are sent via cards on Valentine's Day every year. There are many ways to show love and devotion. Here are some creative and thoughtful ways to show your loved one that you care on Valentine's Day.

TOP 10 WAYS TO EXPRESS YOUR LOVE...

LOVE TIP 1 - Go Technological...

Expressing your love through the virtual world can be a wonderfully creative and thoughtful way to capture your loved one's interest.

Create a Blog dedicated to your loved one, send short and sweet 'tweets' through twitter or even build a website that shares key events in your life as a couple together

LOVE TIP 2 - Be inspired by the Muse...

Let the muses inspire you, get creative and write your loved one a more traditional love letter or poem on beautiful paper. Tie it with ribbon and send it with flowers and chocolates

LOVE TIP 3 - Recreate the magic...

Think back to your very first date, or the first time you became aware of your love for each other. Recreate the scene, cook the same meal, rent the same movie, play the same music, reflect back on that special and significant time together.

LOVE TIP 4 - Love Serenade...

Go public, stand outside your loved one's window and play your couple song, or if you are really brave, sing it. Or, you could go out for a night of Karaoke and sing together.

LOVE TIP 5 Romantic Dinner...

Book an atmospheric restaurant. Go for pre-dinner cocktails and then go out dancing afterwards.

LOVE TIP 6 - A ROMANTIC PICNIC

Put together a picnic basket of treats, sandwiches and desert. Don't forget to include a blanket, a camera and a bottle of champagne. Choose a beautiful and private spot and enjoy!

LOVE TIP 7 - A MAGICAL BALLOON RIDE

This is a little bit of a cliché, but many a couple has had a magical Valentine's Day booking a balloon ride and drifting slowly through the vivid blue sky together.

LOVE TIP 8 - JEWELLRY

The thing about jewelry on Valentine's Day is that it always works. Jewelry is a tangible and eternal reminder of love. And an item with special significance, for example a family treasure passes down from generation to generation, can be a particularly wonderful way to show commitment and devotion

LOVE TIP 9 - A WEEKEND AWAY

Plan a weekend away somewhere remote, isolated and inviting. A day spa can also be a great idea.

LOVE TIP 10 - SEND FLOWERS TO WORK

Let's face it, every woman loves a little bit of attention. What could be better than a massive bunch of flowers delivered to the office to make co-workers envious?