Point of Origin
Valentine's Day became associated with love because Feb. 14 was once believed to be the beginning of birds' mating season.
Easier Said
To kiss Ireland's blarney stone, long a symbol of eloquence, persuasiveness and god luck, one must be helped into an upside-down position by Blarney Castle staff.
Quotable
by H.L. Mencken, American journalist (1880-1956)
"To be in love is merely to be in a state of perceptual anesthesia."
In Other Worlds
In Denmark and Norway, men send women anonymous rhyming poems or love notes on Valentine's Day; if the women guess the sender's identity, they receive an Easter egg at Easter.
So Called
The two stone lions in front of the New York Public Library got their names, Patience and Fortitude, from former Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia.
Lore of Old
Maids in 17th-century England would put a piece of wedding cake, a symbol of fertility, under their pillows to ensure dreams of their future husband.
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