Happy Valentine's Day!

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byMarcia Mayne
Happy Valentine's Day!
Despite its crass commercialism, it’s hard to ignore the message of love that Valentine’s Day evokes.There are several stories about the origin of the day of lovers — and they all come back to Valentine. One is of a third century priest who defied the Emperor Claudius and performed secret weddings on young lovers. Claudius believed that single men made better soldiers than those who had wives and children and forbid them to marry. When the emperor discovered what Valentine had been doing, he ordered his imprisonment and later his execution.Another Valentine rescued Christians from the beatings and torture they received in Roman prisons. Still another Valentine is said to have sent a letter to the young girl who visited him in jail – he’d apparently fallen in love with her. He signed his letter, “From your Valentine.” Whatever the truth of the origin of Valentine’s Day, one thing is sure. It’s the one day in the year that lovers, and those who want to be, feel free to express their love by sending flowers, chocolates and cards – though maybe now, they also send emails, ecards and text messages.Valentine’s Day represents a huge economic boon to florists, restaurants, card sellers. Approximately 189 million roses are produced for Valentine’s Day. However, if you waited until today, you’re likely to pay up to four times more per rose than you would have yesterday. You’ll probably also pay more for the meal.Here in Jamaica as everywhere, lovers will celebrate Valentine’s Day with dinner and flowers.

I have learned not to worry about love; but to honor its coming with all my heart.
 – Alice Walker

Torch lily for Valentine's
Torch lily

Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.
 – Aristotle
Torch lily for Valentine's
Fully opened torch lily

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. – Lao Tzu

Red & yellow hibiscus for Valentine's Day
Red & yellow hibiscus

Young love is a flame; very pretty, often very hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. The love of the older and disciplined heart is as coals, deep-burning, unquenchable.
 – Henry Ward Beecher

Red & yellow hibiscus for Valentines
Closeup of a red & yellow hibiscus

Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age.
 – Anais Nin

Purple flowers for Valentine
Purple flowers (name unknown)

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward in the same direction.
 – Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Pink rose for valentine
Pink rose (name unknown)

Love has no desire but to fulfill itself. But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires; To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To know the pain of too much tenderness. To be wounded by your own understanding of love; And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
 – Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Red rose for Valentine
Red rose

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.
 – Helen Keller 

Pink rose for Valentine
Pink rose

Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.
 – Zora Neale Hurston

Red flower with yellow star for Valentine
Red and yellow flower (unknown name)

Love does not dominate; it cultivates.
 – Johann Wolfgang von GoetheHow will you celebrate Valentine’s Day this year? This is my submission to Travel Photo Thursday, which is organized by Nancie at Budget Travelers Sandbox. Be sure to head over and check out more photos from locations around the world.This week, I’m also linking up with the Friday Daydreaming series organized by Becca at Rwethereyetmom. Hope to see you there!

Posted inJamaica, Travel
Tagged #btbg, Travel, ValentinesDay

36 Comments on "Happy Valentine’s Day!"

  1. Sandra says:
    February 21, 2013 at 5:18 am

    I might be 5 days late but it’s better than nothing. Happy valentine’s day! This is quite an insightful read by the way.

    1. Marcia Mayne says:
      February 21, 2013 at 8:41 pm

      Glad you found it so, Sandra.
      Hope you had a great Valentine’s Day!

  2. Nancie says:
    February 20, 2013 at 6:47 pm

    I always love a flower shot, and these are all beautiful.

    Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward in the same direction.
 – Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    1. Marcia Mayne says:
      February 24, 2013 at 7:11 pm

      Thanks, Nancie. Isn’t that a beautiful quote?

  3. Sophie says:
    February 20, 2013 at 4:01 am

    Gorgeous flowers and post. We don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day much up here, so it was interesting to hear about the (non-commercial) back story.

    1. Marcia Mayne says:
      February 24, 2013 at 8:27 pm

      Thanks, Sophie, glad you found the backstory interesting.
      I wonder how many other countries don’t make a big deal about V-D.

  4. Stacey says:
    February 19, 2013 at 6:06 am

    Happy Valentine’s Day to you too! I always look forward to Hearts’ Day, not just because of the flowers that I can get but because I love seeing couples everywhere that act all lovey-dovey during the holiday.

    1. Marcia Mayne says:
      February 24, 2013 at 8:29 pm

      Thanka, Stacey! You’re right – it is great to see lovey-dovey couples on Valentine’s Day.

  5. Kelly says:
    February 19, 2013 at 5:49 am

    Same to you! Hope you had a beautiful Valentine’s Day. For me, the day is not just special because it’s about hearts and balloons and roses. It’s about giving, and even forgiving and letting go of the painful past, and make way for a new love, and a new life as well.

    1. Marcia Mayne says:
      February 24, 2013 at 8:30 pm

      Oh, that’s beautiful, Kelly. I like that sentiment and will keep it in mind for next V-D.

  6. Donna Kiritharan says:
    February 18, 2013 at 8:27 pm

    I’m actually getting a 60D next month! I want to venture into videography for now I use a Nikon D60 with a 50mm 1.4 and a kit lens. 🙂

    1. Marcia Mayne says:
      February 24, 2013 at 8:33 pm

      That’s a fabulous camera! I can’t wait to see more of your photos.

  7. Donna Kiritharan says:
    February 18, 2013 at 11:25 am

    Lovely photos! What camera did you use? I’m trying to do more with my macro shots and I really want to try experimenting with flowers. You have definitely changed my perspective in the whole thing. And oh, belated happy hearts day!

    1. Marcia Mayne says:
      February 18, 2013 at 1:06 pm

      Thanks, Donna. Some were taken with a Fuji Finepix others a Canon 60D.
      I love taking flowers. I didn’t have to use a macro lens for these though. Look forward to seeing your flower photos.
      Belated Happy Valentine’s Day to you too!

  8. Sensibletraveler says:
    February 18, 2013 at 8:47 am

    Beautiful flowers! I tried to send my wife flowers for Valentines Day but they were put on the wrong truck and never arrived! I should have just sent her a link to this post.

    1. marciam says:
      February 18, 2013 at 8:52 am

      Aw, thank you! I’m really sorry to hear that. I hope the florist sends your wife a flowers for a year to make up for their error.

  9. Joy says:
    February 17, 2013 at 7:57 pm

    I didn’t receive anything from anyone this Valentine’s Day. but I’m happy, knowing that there are so many people who enjoy the day basking in the warmth of their love. But of course, Valentine’s Day is not just all about love. Just like Christmas, I think it should also be about forgiveness, or giving to other people.

    1. marciam says:
      February 17, 2013 at 10:59 pm

      That’s so true, Joy. It should also be about forgiveness and giving to others.

  10. Johanna at ZigaZag says:
    February 17, 2013 at 7:04 pm

    Thanks for the interesting info about Valentine\’s day, and the flower photos with the wonderful quotations were inspiring on this Monday morning 🙂

    1. marciam says:
      February 17, 2013 at 8:38 pm

      You’re welcome, Johanna. Hope you had a lovely Valentine’s Day.

  11. Becca says:
    February 17, 2013 at 9:42 am

    Interesting post on the history – thanks for linking up – love the flower shots too!

    1. marciam says:
      February 17, 2013 at 9:05 pm

      Thanks, Becca. Glad you like the photos.
      Definitely happy to link up.

  12. Salika Jay says:
    February 17, 2013 at 6:14 am

    Although Valentine’s Day is commercialized like every event, it’s nice to have a day allocated for lovers all around the world. After New Years, this must be the most celebrated event throughout the world. Beautiful flowers!

    1. marciam says:
      February 17, 2013 at 9:06 pm

      That’s a good point, Salika Jay. I hadn’t thought of that.
      Glad you like the flowers.

  13. Sarah Park says:
    February 17, 2013 at 5:36 am

    I instantly fell in love with these flowers. The beauty gives a different kind of relaxing feeling. Much more if you are smelling its aroma.

    1. marciam says:
      February 17, 2013 at 9:32 pm

      Glad you like the flowers, Sarah, and hope you had a great Valentine’s Day.

  14. ElizOF says:
    February 17, 2013 at 1:30 am

    Happy Valentine’s Day! The flowers are beautiful. 😉
    Eliz

    1. marciam says:
      February 17, 2013 at 10:28 pm

      Glad you like the flowers.
      Thanks, Elizabeth. Happy Valentine’s Day too.

  15. Vera Marie Badertscher says:
    February 16, 2013 at 1:47 pm

    These are stunning flower photos and I love, love, love the love quotes you found to go with them!
    Are the flowers from a lot of different places?

    1. marciam says:
      February 16, 2013 at 10:24 pm

      Hi Vera, I took those flower photo in Jamaica.
      Glad you like the quotes.

  16. totsymae1011 says:
    February 16, 2013 at 7:21 am

    Ahem…It’s not Valenetine’s Day today. Though, I’ve always enjoyed the mythology behind its origin.

    1. marciam says:
      February 17, 2013 at 10:56 pm

      Well, you’re not too late. Hope you had a great Valentine’s Day, Totsy.

  17. Muza-chan says:
    February 15, 2013 at 1:12 am

    Great photos. Happy Valentine\’s Day! 🙂

    1. marciam says:
      February 17, 2013 at 10:35 pm

      Thanks, Muza-chan. Happy Valentine’s Day to you too.

  18. Cathy Sweeney says:
    February 14, 2013 at 8:16 pm

    Lovely, lovely post! Beautiful photos and sentiments. I like the Anais Nin quote – \”Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age.
\” Happy Valentine\’s Day, Marcia.

    1. marciam says:
      February 17, 2013 at 10:34 pm

      Oh, thank you, Cathy. That was one of my favorites too.
      Hope you had a great Valentine’s Day.

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