Cleveland Heights, Ohio - Where will Cupid's arrow lead you on Valentine's Day?

And, how did a date set aside to honor an obscure saint turn into a greeting card maker's most lucrative day of the year?

From cards and chocolates to flowers, dinner reservations and lingerie, Feb. 14 is a multi-tiered marketing marvel. It has its fans from school children to seniors, all participating in exchanging cards, gifts and kisses.

According to my source, sales of Valentine's Day cards are second to Christmas.

In fact, the Queen of Hearts trumps Mother's Day. That's because the heart-filled cards are universally exchanged by friends, lovers, school children and adults.

Who doesn't appreciate the bright red and pink colors symbolic of passion and platonic love during our frequently grey midwinter weather.



Valentine's Day has evolved from a day that honors St. Valentine, the third-century Catholic priest who secretly married young lovers who were forbidden to do so because the government needed the young men to go off and fight wars, to a day that celebrates love.

Some argue that the day's popularity has lost the significant association with its origin. But, like love, itself, Valentine's Day is one of the most adaptable occasions.

It can be an intimate day to spend time with your mate, or a family day. It can be deeply personal or very public, depending on how you choose to celebrate it.

Did you know that a significant number of pet owners give valentines and Valentine's Day gifts to their pets? And, you thought dogs couldn't read.

The association of the middle of February with love and fertility actually goes further back and has its roots in ancient fertility rites, according to my research.

Ancient Athenians celebrated it as the month of Gamelion to mark the marriage of their Greek gods, Zeus and Hera.

In Greek mythology, Zeus was the supreme ruler of the ancient Greek Gods while Hera was the Goddess of women, marriage and childbirth. Zeus was also known as a philanderer and Hera had her ways of dealing with that.

Meanwhile, ancient Romans celebrated the Feast of Lupercalia to honor their Roman gods of agriculture and fertility, Lupercus and Faunus along with Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.

A precursor of this festival was celebrated on Feb. 14 to honor Juno, the goddess of women and marriage.

According to the legend, on Feb. 15, members of Lupercali, an order of the Roman priests, would gather in a sacred cave where Romulus and Remus are said to have been nurtured by a she-wolf.

There, the priests sacrificed a goat for fertility and a dog for purification. Young boys then sliced the goat hide into strips and dipped them in sacrificial blood. Later, the boys clad in animal skin would run about the streets of Rome holding pieces of goatskin above their head and gently slapping women and the fields with the animal hide.

I'm told that the womenfolk gladly received the slap, as they believed that touch of the goatskin would render them fruitful and bring easy childbirth. Because the youths impersonated male goats, the embodiment of sexuality in those days, the ceremony was believed to be in honor of Fanus.

The young women in the city would place a token of their name in a big urn. Bachelors in the city would each then take a chit out of the urn and became paired for the girl whose name was on the chit for the rest of the year. I'm told the paired couple would often fall in love and marry.

When Christianity spread through Rome, the practice of finding mate through this lottery system was outlawed. And, round 498 in the Common Era, Pope Gelasius is said to have declared Feb. 14 as St. Valentine's Day.

There now, flowers, cards, candy and a nice dinner seem like a small price to pay to honor the day.

Comment below or contact Rusek at jcooperrusek@gmail.com.

Immerse yourself in a romantic novel, or a whole bag full after shopping the Friends of the Library sale at the Lee Road Branch 9:15 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. Feb. 6 during the Friends First Friday book and bake sale. You can fill a bag with books for $4 and buy a videotape for 50 cents. Contact heightslibrary.org.

Love books and wine, too? You're also invited to the Friends of the Library happy hour fundraiser 3-5 p.m. Feb. 22 at The Wine Spot, 2271 Lee Road. You can shake off the winter blahs for a good cause, enjoy food, toast to friendships and support your library. Several raffle prizes offer gift certificates for more evenings out.

Tickets are $15 for Friends members or $20 for non-members. All proceeds will be used for adding to the resources and facilities of the Heights Libraries.

Memberships are also available at the door or online at heightslibrary.org.

To some, love is like a pancake. Why not enjoy a pancake breakfast with the birds at the Shaker Lakes Nature Center 8 a.m. to noon Feb. 21.

A joint effort of the Nature Center and the Rotary Club of Shaker Heights, this event features a hearty pancake breakfast, live birds of prey show presented by Lake Metroparks, activity stations with crafts and guided nature hikes.

The cost is $8 per person and the proceeds benefit the Rotary Club of Shaker Heights' third grade dictionary project and the Nature Center. Contact shakerlakes.org or 216-321-5935.