Every Valentine’s Day, millions of people scramble to stores to buy cards, roses, and boxes of chocolates to give their partners. But where did this tradition begin? According to legend, Valentine was a priest in ancient Rome. He defied the emperor’s ban on marriage by marrying young couples in secret. Valentine was eventually caught but, while in prison, he fell in love with the daughter of the guard. On his way to be executed, he gave her history’s first Valentine ca

rd, a note declaring his love and signed,“From your Valentine.”Thus, a tradition was born.

　　Nowadays, Valentine’s Day has become a frenzy of gift-giving, but the important thing to remember is to remind the person you love how much you care about them. While store-bought gifts are nice, a little extra planning will help you give your loved one a Valentine’s Day that they will remember forever.

　　For example, instead of buying a card, try making one. If you have a favorite song together, find the lyrics on the Internet and write them on your card.

　　How about a candlelight dinner with a twist? Instead of going to a restaurant, make a homemade meal (or have food delivered if you can’t cook). Turn off the lights and fill the room with small candles. Don’t forget to put on romantic music in the background.

　　One of the problems with Valentine’s Day is that everybody’s celebrating at the same time. Hanging out with a million other people simply isn’t very romantic. One way to get around this is to have two Valentine’s Day: one for fun on February 14, and one for romance some time during the week. While everyone else is going off to school or work, you and your honey can play hooky and have the whole day to yourselves.