One legend has it that Valentine’s Day originated to commemorate the anniversary of the death of St. Valentine, a Roman clergyman who was executed on Feb. 14, about 270 A.D., for secretly marrying couples in defiance of the emperor. According to another, the holiday began as a Roman fertility festival. Americans probably began exchanging handmade valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther Howland, a native of Massachusetts, began to sell the nation’s first mass-produced valentine cards.

Top Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Household participation rates

Sources: Hallmark/Retail Industry Leaders Association/NRF

Valentine’s Cards
180 million
Number of Valentine’s Day cards exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion. (This total excludes packaged kids valentines for classroom exchanges.) (Source: Hallmark research)

Nearly 50 percent
Typically, the proportion of all Valentine’s Day cards purchased in the six days prior to the observance, making Valentine’s Day a procrastinator’s delight. (Source: Hallmark research)

About 40%
Proportion of all Valentine card purchases which parents account for. (Source: Hallmark research.)

Young and Looking for Love
120
Number of single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) who are in their 20s for every 100 single women of the same ages. Corresponding numbers for the following race and ethnic groups are:
Hispanics: 153 men per 100 women
Asians (single race): 132 men per 100 women (This ratio is not significantly
different from that for Hispanics or non-Hispanic whites.)
Non-Hispanic whites (single race): 120 men per 100 women
Blacks (single race): 92 men per 100 women (The numbers of black men and
women in this age group are not significantly different from one another.)
<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2004.html>

Young at Heart and Looking for Love
33
Number of single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) age 65 or older for every
100 single women of the same ages. Corresponding numbers for the following race and ethnic groups are:
Hispanics: 38 men per 100 women
Non-Hispanic whites (single race): 33 men per 100 women
Blacks (single race): 33 men per 100 women
Asians (single race): 28 men per 100 women
(Note: None of the ratios for the individual groups differ significantly from one another nor from the ratio for all people age 65 or older.)
<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2004.html>

Try Looking Here . . .
Below are names of some romantic-sounding places:

(Source: American FactFinder)

Be Mine
2.2 million
The number of marriages that take place in the United States annually. That breaks down to more than 6,000 a day. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/>

145,800
The number of marriages performed in Nevada during 2004. So many couples “tie the knot” in the Silver State that it ranked fourth nationally in marriages, even though its total population that year among states was 35th. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr53/nvsr53_21.pdf>
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/003153.html>

25.8 and 27.4
The estimated U.S. median ages at first marriage for women and men, respectively, in 2004. The age for women rose 4.7 years in the last three decades. The age for men at first marriage is up 4.3 years. <http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/hh-fam/ms2.pdf>

Men and women in northeastern states generally have a higher median age at first marriage than the national average. In Massachusetts, for example, women were a median of 27.4 years old and men 29.1 years of age at first marriage. States where people typically marry young include Utah, where women were a median of 21.9 years and men, 23.9 years.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/fertility/005807.html>

54% and 57%
The percentages of American women and men, respectively, who are 15 or older and currently married (includes those who are separated). <http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2004.html>

4.7 million
Number of opposite-sex cohabitating couples who maintained households in 2004. These couples comprised 4.2 percent of all households. <http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2004.html>

Candy is Dandy
1,271
Number of locations producing chocolate and cocoa products in 2003. These establishments employed 43,379 people. California led the nation in the number of such establishments (with 146) followed by Pennsylvania (with 120). <http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/cbptotal.html>

519
Number of locations that produced nonchocolate confectionary products in 2003. These establishments employed 23,343 people. <http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/cbptotal.html>

$13.5 billion
Total value of shipments in 2003 for firms producing chocolate and cocoa products. Nonchocolate confectionery product manufacturing, meanwhile, was a $5.5 billion industry. <http://www.census.gov/prod/ec02/am0331gs1.pdf>

3,523
Number of confectionery and nut stores in the United States in 2003. Often referred to as candy stores, they are among the best sources of sweets for Valentine’s Day. <http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/cbptotal.html>

24.7 pounds
Per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2004. Candy consumption has actually declined over the last few years; in 1997, each American gobbled or savored more than 27 pounds of candy a year. <http://www.census.gov/industry/1/ma311d04.pdf>

Flowers
$422 million
The combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut flowers in 2004 for all flower-producing businesses in 36 states with $100,000 or more in sales. Among states, California was the leading producer, alone accounting for nearly three-quarters of this amount ($304 million). <http://www.nass.usda.gov>

$43 million
The combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut roses in 2004 for all businesses in 36 states with $100,000 or more in sales. Among all types of cut flowers, roses were second in receipts to lilies ($78 million). <http://www.nass.usda.gov>

22,022
The number of florists nationwide in 2003. These businesses employed 113,270 people. <http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/cbptotal.html>

Jewelry
28,527
Number of jewelry stores in the United States in 2003. Jewelry stores offer engagement, wedding and other rings to lovers of all ages. In February 2005, these stores sold $2.4 billion worth of merchandise. (This figure has not been adjusted for seasonal variation, holiday or trading day differences or price changes.) <http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/cbptotal.html> <http://www.census.gov/mrts/www/mrts.html>

The merchandise at these locations could well have been produced at one of the nation’s 1,892 jewelry manufacturing establishments. The manufacture of jewelry was an $8.6 billion industry in 2003. <http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/cbptotal.html>
<http://www.census.gov/prod/ec02/am0331gs1.pdf>

Want something colorfully different for the holidays this year? Why not venture South of the Border for a Mexican tradition that has become a staple on many north of the border menus.

 The origin of fajitas is argued with both Mexico and West Texas staking claims. Most agree the traditional fajita meat is steak, but modern varieties have also turned to leaner ingredients like chicken, pork, turkey, and shrimp.
 In the 1930s and 40s, workers were given the less-expensive cuts of meat as partial payment for their services in butchering steers. Because of this, they had to develop ways to prepare the tough meat cuts given them. In Spanish, fajita is a form of the word, “faja,” meaning  “belt” or “girdle” in English and, hence, the skirt steak was called fajita meat.
 Purists in Texas still say the skirt steak is the only true fajita meat.

Gourmet’s Festive
 Holiday Fajitas
  The traditional steak fare starts with 2 pounds of steak cuts. Chuck or shoulder roast works well after being trimmed of fat with scissors or a sharp knife. Other meat or shrimp may be substituted.
 Marinate the meat for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight) in the refrigerator in a marinade of 4 tablespoons of malt vinegar and 2 cups of a commercial marinating sauce such as Lawry’s Baja Chipolte or World Harbor Mexican Style Sauce and Marinade.
 The marinated meat can be charred on the grill or pan-seared using a light covering of canola oil.
 When the meat starts to darken, add 3 cups of thinly sliced red, yellow, and green bell peppers, along with 1 1/2 cups of sliced onions and the meaty portions of 2 medium tomatoes.
 Place meal-sized portions on individual pre-heated iron fajita skillets or heated dishes and squeeze lemon juice over them.
 Dinner guests can wrap them in flour tortillas or, for healthier fare, whole grain tortillas. Condiments may include cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, chopped tomatoes, or chopped avocados.
 The festive colors will make a sizzling success of a holiday or any other meal

 You may be doing all you can to take care of your body. You eat right, get some exercise, and try to stay away from people who are sick.
 Diseases can kill you slowly, but a traffic accident can instantly snuff out the candle of your life or change the way you live in the future. The risk is higher if you drive drunk or drugged.

 Think of others. Impaired driving is one of America’s deadliest crimes. On an annual basis, it takes the life of one person every 31 minutes. Hundreds of thousands are left injured or crippled, and those numbers are  higher during the holiday season.
 It’s sometimes difficult to tell when you’ve had too much to drink. The National Highway Safety Administration reports that even one alcoholic drink impairs the ability to react quickly. A slow reaction could be fatal when attempting to avoid an accident.
 * Before the evening begins at a gathering where alcohol is served, find a nondrinker who will take you home.
 * Say “no thanks” to anyone who offers you a funny cigarette or a pill that will “make you feel wonderful.”
 * Never accept a ride from someone who has been drinking.
As the host of a gathering
 * Provide nonalcoholic drinks and plenty of high-protein food.
 * Use self-measuring one-ounce bottle spouts to pour liquor.
 * Don’t rush to refill glasses.
 * Never let a guest drive after drinking. Arrange a ride or call a cab.
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As we gather with family and friends on November 22, we have much to be thankful for, not the least of which is the blessing of everyday life in America.
 In the midst of Thanksgiving, however, we may sense that we are living in a time of decisive moments. We could include a prayer for guidance in choosing a new president.

 Celebrating Thanksgiving in both decisive times and quiet times is an American tradition. General George Washington and his soldiers observed a Thanksgiving Day during the difficult days of the Revolutionary War. It was a decisive time.
 Washington”s first proclamation after becoming president named November 26, 1789 to be a national day of thanksgiving, a quiet time.
 In 1863, with the Civil War in progress, President Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Day proclamation included this touching statement: “We commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable strife in which we are unavoidably engaged.”
 In 2005, President George W. Bush’s proclamation said, in part, “We give thanks to live in a country where freedom reigns, justice prevails, and hope prospers. We recognize that America is a better place when we answer the universal call to love a neighbor and help those in need.”

Soon the turkey will be roasting in the oven and the sound of holiday music will be heard throughout the land.
 This is a time often pictured as chocked full of conviviality, cheer, warm heartedness, and a reaching out in love to those around us.
 But sometimes, when we are burdened with too much to do in too little time, the holidays can become a time of anger and frustration.

 To help keep your feelings of good cheer, peace, and serenity, you might want to try some of these ideas. 
 * Realistic goals: Compile a list of what needs to be accomplished during the holidays. Eliminate what you can and formulate a game plan that allows you to do a little at a time so the holidays are not a burden but a blessing. Don’t be afraid to evaluate family traditions and change what needs to be changed.
 * Restraint: Don’t become carried away with spending money on gifts and decorations, racking up huge bills that make reading the mail a dreaded experience. The guilt you will feel if you spend wildly will be enough to spoil any holiday. Stick to your budget.
 * Share: Remember not everyone has the ability to have a pleasant holiday season. Pick one or two charities and give of both your time and treasure.
 * Time for yourself: Sometimes we become so wrapped up in making sure everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas that we forget about ourselves. Take time each day to be alone and enjoy a quiet moment.
 *Empathy: You might become agitated while stuck in traffic or feel impatient with an inexperienced salesclerk but remember the people around you may be dealing with frustration too. A smile can be contagious.