Surfin' Britain - Valentine’s Day

Enter the love zone on Surfin' Britain with an article dedicated to the most romantic date on the calendar. Valentine's day is celebrated on the 14th February – the day that brings out the romantic in all of us. Or is it nothing more than a commercial marketing ploy dreamt up by cynical card and chocolate manufacturers?

Valentine's Day is the day dedicated to love and romance. In England it is traditional to send a card containing a message of love to your wife, husband, boyfriend or girlfriend on Valentine's Day. Valentine's cards are usually sent anonymously and signed "from your Valentine". They are often used by people as a way of telling someone they haven't the confidence to speak to that they like them. Valentine's Day is therefore a good opportunity for a secret admirer to let the object of his affection know he is interested. Big romantic gestures are the order of the day. Some people write in to radio request shows so that the DJ reads out a dedication to their loved one and plays them a special song. Celebrating the day with a romantic, candlelit dinner for two is another popular way for couples to affirm their love for one another.

It is traditional to serenade your loved one on St Valentine's Day with an example of your artistic creativity. This usually takes the form of a special poem written inside the Valentine's card. Many people borrow from the great English poets such as Shakespeare and quote one of his famous romantic sonnets. There are also plenty of Valentine's rhymes without such an illustrious pedigree that can be used. Some people like to fill their cards with as many poems as they (and their friends) can think of. One of the best known is the somewhat saccharine "Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and so are you". By keeping the first two lines and writing an alternative ending there are literally hundreds of variations of this poem. A less flattering alternative reads "Roses are red, violets are blue, if I looked like you, I'd live in a zoo".

The most popular candidate for St Valentine, the patron saint of lovers, was a 3rd century Roman priest who defied the Emperor Claudius II and was executed in AD 270. The Emperor needed soldiers for his armies and believed that single men would be more likely to volunteer for service. He proclaimed a law banning men of service age from marrying. Valentine was thrown into jail for defying the Emperor's law by continuing to perform marriages in secret for young couples. Legend has it that he fell in love with a girl who visited him in prison and sent her the first "valentine" greeting, signing it "from your Valentine".