Hearts, Cupids, and Red Roses: The Story of the Valentine Symbols
Why do we celebrate Valentine's Day? And what do cupids and lace have to  do with anything? February 14 is a lighthearted occasion with ancient origins.  No one is really sure who St. Valentine, patron of lovers, really was. According  to one legend, he was a Roman priest who agreed to secretly marry young couples  when Emperor Claudius II decreed that no one could be married because he needed  men to fight wars instead. February 14, when Valentine supposedly died, was the  eve of an important Roman festival--Lupercalia. On this evening, Roman youths  drew the names of girls who would be their partners during the festival. In this  lively and informative book, readers will read the first known valentine ever  written (by Margery Brews in 1477), discover the golden age of English  valentines, learn the difference between "rebus" and "puzzle purse" valentines,  and more. "Enter Cupid" is a chapter tracing the symbolism and origins of the  strange, heart-piercing, winged babies, and explanations of valentine symbols  like flowers and hearts follow. Helpful supplemental material--a list of stories  and poems for Valentine's Day, a bibliography, and index--will help young  researchers as well. Edna Barth has a long and respected history of demystifying  occasions inShamrocks, Harps,  and Shillelaghs: The Story of the St. Patrick's Day Symbols,Lilies, Rabbits, and Painted Eggs: The  Story of the Easter Symbols,Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts:  The Story of the Halloween Symbols, and more. She has a knack for  snappy, straightforward, well-researched explanations of the history and  traditions behind holidays, and illustrator Ursula Arndt adds a sprightly touch  with delicate pen-and-ink illustrations. (Ages 9 and older)