1.A greeting card sent to arrive on Saint Valentine's Day (Feb. 14) declaring one's love for someone, but usually without giving the name of the sender
2. The person to whom a Valentine is sent
valentine [lentain]
Several stories are told about the origin of Saint Valentine's Day. One legend dates as far as the days of the Roman Empire. According to the story, Claudius, the Emperor of Rome, wanted to increase the size of his army. He knew that it would be easier to get young men who were not married to join. Therefore he made a rule that no young man could marry until he had served a certain number of years in the army.
A priest named Valentine broke the rule and secretly married a great many young people. Finally, Claudius found out about Valentine and put the priest in prison, where he remained until his death on Feb.14.
After his death, Valentine was made a saint, and the day of his death was named Saint Valentine's Day. It became the custom for lovers to send each other messages on this day. Now Saint Valentine's Day is a time for people to send one another greetings of many kinds.
February 14, Valentine's Day, is sweet hearts' day, on which people in love with each other express their tender emotions. People sometimes put their love messages in a heart-shaped box of chocalates, or a bunch of flowers tied with red ribbons. Words or letters may be written on the flower-covered cards, or something else. Whatever the form may be, the message is almost the same：“Will you be my valentine?”
Another story has it that while Valentine was in prison waiting for his fate, he came in contact with his jailor, Asterius. The jailor had a blind daughter. Asterius requested him to heal his daughter. Through his faith he miraculously restored the sight of Asterius' daughter and fell in love with her. Just before he was put to death, he asked for a pen and paper from his jailor, and signed a farewell message to her “From Your Valentine”, a phrase that lived ever after.
Another valentine gentleman you may be wondering about is Cupid (Latin,“desire”). In Roman mythology Cupid is the son of Venus, goddess of love. His counterpart in Greek mythology is Eros, god of love. Cupid is often said to be a mischievous boy who goes around wounding both gods and humans with his arrows, causing them to fall in love.
It is an old English custom to send a message or card to the person you love on St. Valentine's Day. Here are some samples:
1. To one's beloved wife:
Susan Harbert: Thanks for: 14 good years, 5000 breakfasts, 5 kids and you.
Love Walley
2. To one's lover:
Mary my darling． I love you madly． I am so happy to have you as my valentine．
From your valentine Michael
3． To one＇s beloved mother:
Dear Mom:
I love you． I hope you have a GREAT Valentine＇s Day． Thank you for your love and thanks for caring for me so much．
Love,
Lock
Dear Mom:
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
And I just want to tell you
That I love you．
Angel
4. Father to his beloved son:
Dear Tony:
If I could give you only one thing,
I think it would have to be courage,
With it you can face all changes, all losses,
All failure even loneliness—
And build anew and more strongly than before．
Dad
5.To one's beloved teacher:
Thank you for making learning not a job but a joy,
Thank you for making me feel valuable,
Thank you for helping me to discover what I do best,
And to do it even better．
Thank you for being someone I can always trust－
And turn to when life gets difficult．
John
My dear teacher:
I will remember you always and always．
Your student Harry
1. Pack a chocolate box with heart-
printed wrapping paper, and sign it with a tag. You can also leave it at a place where your loved one will find it for sure.
2. Copy (or write) a love poem on a good letter pad, and express your special thoughts. You can also add it on with any other gifts that you are planning to give. You can take help from our Poems sections in E.S. You can also send a free virtual greetings, ’cause they are very popular now, and one expects them at every occasion.
3. Material gifts are not the only things you can give, there could be better choices. Plan out a special dinner with your sweetheart. It could be a candle-light or an open-air. But it has to be special someway, otherwise the charm will be lost.
4. Stuffed toys are more popular than ever, and always a great gift for your sweetheart.
5. Flowers! Possibly the most widely used gift, yet never lose its color. Do not miss this wonderful occasion to present some lovely flower to your love.
6. Arrange for home-delivery of some freshly cooked food, like dishes of fish, and include the message: “Just as fresh as my Love for you”.
7. Try to figure out if your love wants, or requires something, but yet to buy it. If you have figured it out, you got it. It will be the best gift you can give. But careful, you must be dead sure that he or she is yet to get it for himself or herself.
8. Buy a jack-in-the-box, and fix your small love note on jack, and have someone deliver your present to your love. The effect is electrifyingly surprising.
9. Buy a book or a CD on love and then present it , and this special issue of English Square is one of the best choices for it.
情人节的由来有几种不同的传说，其中一传说要追溯到古罗马帝国时期。根据这一传说，罗马皇帝克劳迪斯想扩充军队， 他知道招募未婚青年参军要容易一些。于是他就制定了一项法规：男青年必须在军队服役一定年限后才能结婚。
可是有个叫瓦伦丁的神父违犯规定，秘密为许多青年主持了婚礼。后来，克劳迪斯发觉了瓦伦丁的所为，就把他关进了监狱，一直关押到2月14日他在狱中死去。
瓦伦丁死后被奉为圣人，他去世的日子就命名为“圣瓦伦丁节”。情人们在这一天互表爱慕之意就演为习俗。而现在，圣瓦伦丁节成了人们互致问候的日子。
2月14日的圣瓦伦丁节，是情人的节日，恋爱中的情人们在这一天互表爱意柔情。有时情人们把情书放在心状的巧克力盒子里或放在用红丝带扎起的花束中， 在鲜花装饰的贺卡或其他东西上写上几个字或一封信。不管采取什么形式，书写的内容几乎一样：“你愿意做我的情人吗？”
另一个传说是，瓦伦丁在监狱里命运未卜的时候，认识了典狱长阿斯特里奥斯。该典狱长有一个双目失明的女儿。典狱长请求他治好女儿的眼睛。瓦伦丁以其坚强的信念奇迹般地恢复了典狱长女儿的视力，并且爱上了她。就在行刑前，他从典狱长那里要了一支笔、一张纸，给典狱长的女儿写了一封“诀别”信，署名“寄自瓦伦丁”。“From your valentine”这几个字就这样沿用至今。
谈到情人节，要提到的另一人物是丘比特（在拉丁语中，“丘比特”是“欲望”之意）。在罗马神话中，丘比特是爱之女神维纳斯之子。在希腊神话中，爱神名叫厄洛斯。传说中，丘比特是一个顽皮的男孩，他四处转悠，用弓箭射中天神或凡人，使他们坠入爱河。
写给爱妻：
苏珊·哈伯特：感谢你给了我——14个快乐的岁月，5000次早餐，5个孩子，还有你。
爱你的威利
写给情人：
我亲爱的玛丽，我爱你爱得发狂。有你做我的情人，我感到无比幸福。
你的情人迈克
写给亲爱的妈妈：
亲爱的妈妈：
我爱你。祝你情人节无比快乐。谢谢你给我的爱，谢谢你对我无微不至的关怀。
爱你的
洛克
亲爱的妈妈：
玫瑰是红的
紫罗兰是蓝的
我只想告诉你
我爱你。
安琪儿
父亲写给爱子：
亲爱的托尼：
如果只能给你一件礼物，
那件礼物应该是勇气，
有了它，你能面对任何变化，任何挫折，
任何失败，甚至狐独
并能东山再起，更加坚强。
老爸
写给敬爱的老师：
感谢你没把学习变成劳役而成为一种快乐，
感谢你让我明白了自身的价值；
感谢你帮助我发现了自己的专长——
而且让我做事情精益求精；
感谢你成为值得我信赖的人——
在生活中遇到麻烦便可求助于你。
约翰
亲爱的老师：
我会永远把你记在心间。
你的学生哈利
1. 用印有心型的包装纸包一盒巧克力，贴上一个标签并签名。你也可以把它放在你的心上人肯定可以找到的地方。
2. 摘抄（或创作）一首爱情诗写在纸质较好的信笺上，表达你特别的感受。你也可以把打算赠送的礼物连同情诗一道寄出。你可以在我们的《英语广场》“诗歌”栏目中找到一些用得上的资料。你还可以发一个免费电子贺信，因为现在这种贺信十分流行，在任何时候我们都希望别人发电子贺信来。
3. 赠送礼物不仅仅限于具体的物品，还有更好的选择。你可以与心上人策划一顿别出心裁的便餐，可以是烛光宴，也可以是露天野餐，不过一定要有点“酷”，不然就平淡乏味。
4. 填充玩具比以前更流行了，任何时候都是顶好的礼物。
5. 鲜花！这可能是最大众化的礼物了，可其迷人风采从未褪色。千万不要错失良机，赶紧给你的心上人送上可爱的鲜花！
6. 安排别人将刚烹饪好的食物，比如说鲜鱼，送货上门，并附上一张便条：“如我对你的爱一样鲜”。
7. 搞清楚你的心上人是不是需要什么，但还没买回来。一旦弄清了，你就把需要的东西买下——雪中送炭，这是最好的礼物。不过一定要注意，你要有绝对的把握：绝对是他或她本人需要但尚未弄到手的东西。
8. 买一个玩偶匣，在玩偶上贴一张表达爱意的小条子，叫别人将这个礼物送给你的心上人，这一招绝对出奇制胜！
9. 买一本关于“爱”的书或一张情歌CD，送给你的所爱，本期的《英语广场》特刊就是一个不错的选择。