Every year people all over the world celebrate St.Valentine's Day on the February 14. This is a day when we tell friends that we love and remember them. This is a day when relationships get infused with new romantic passion. This is the day on which we celebrate love. The whole industry was created around this innocent celebration and millions of greeting cards, chocolate boxes, red roses, and other gifts exchange hands on this day.
Many people call St.Valentine's Day a Hallmark Holiday, but the tradition of St.Valentine's Day is much older than a Hallmark company. It is believed to have originated from the pagan customs of the third or fourth century B.C., where Lupercalia Festival was celebrated in Ancient Rome in mid-February. At this time young men underwent their rites of passage rituals. This was also a time when young boys and girls who normally lived separately, were brought together. Celebrated by the Victorians, St. Valentine's Day went into oblivion for quite some time and was later revived by the Hallmark company. So, at least, the story goes... The holiday is well placed in the middle of winter to warm up our spirits and celebrate a little. Friends and lovers exchange greetings and love tokens and from time to time some of them look for a very special and original gift. So, what to give this year?
♥ Red roses
Red rose is a symbol of passion and desire for love. Most women love the idea of receiving flowers and few dislike roses. Roses are very versatile and can be used in many ways to excite the senses. Try something different this year. Spread rose petals from the entrance to a beautifully decorated dinner table. Cook a saffron risotto with shredded fresh rose petals or spice your meat stew with a mixture of dried rose petals, nutmeg, dried orange peel, black pepper, and cloves. Mix spices together adding generous portion of rose petals and grind the mixture to a coarse powder. Make a rose petal ice cream for dessert. Use organically grown flowers if you can. Decorate your bedroom with rose petals marking the way from the entrance to your bed or prepare a sensual bath for two with rose petals and the essential rose oil. Do not forget the candles, but be careful not to add to much of the rose scent all at once.
♥ Chocolates
Chocolate is known to have aphrodisiac properties and was used as such since the ancient times. Already the Aztec king Montezuma sought help in a cup of spiced cocoa before embarking on his amorous adventures with his consorts. There are many different kinds of chocolates on the market. Chose those that are spiced with exotic spices and use them with your partner to explore the olfactory and gustatory sensations that chocolate and spices bring out. What can come out of it is left to your own imagination.
♥ Dinner for two
Saint Valentine's Day is a perfect occasion to indulge. Some fine restaurants offer a special menu for lovers and a fine wine to go with it. Candle light, fine china, romantic music, and foods that not only will excite your taste buds, but are intended to heat your passion as well. Go easy on the wine as it may numb your senses and this is not what you want on St. Valentine's night. Those who want to combine their passion for cooking with a passion for a partner will probably prefer to stay at home and prepare the dinner themselves. There are countless libido enhancing recipes. Some of the most exciting ingredients are:
Use your cooking talent to create a lasting sensual experience. Address all the senses but leave some space for imagination and naughtiness. Create sensual ambiance that will allow intimacy to unfold, especially when you and your partner live under the same roof. The element of surprise adds a new accent into your relationship.
♥ Night out
You might want to do something different this year. Here comes an extravagant idea, that may change your relationship forever. If your budget permits, book a hotel room in advance and let your sweetheart know that you plan something very special on St. Valentine's Day. Ask her or him not to plan anything for that evening, but do not reveal your secret. Check with the hotel their room service menu and find out if they have any special arrangements for that day. Have the hotel prepare the dining table for the occasion. Find out if they have bathrobes in the room. Pack some toiletries and everything else you both may need that night. Keep a bottle of organic lotion for a sensual massage ready in the room. There is no better way to connect with the person you love after a day of work than through a gentle, relaxing, loving massage.
Check in to the hotel as early as you can and decorate it with scented candles. Put the champagne bottle into an ice cooler. Leave a rose petal trail between the entrance and the bed. Pick up your sweetheart from work and take him or her straight to the hotel. Call the room service to deliver the prearranged menu and enjoy your time. An intimate evening away from home may have an unexpected impact on your love relationship. It will be greatly appreciated and not lightly forgotten.
Saint Valentine's day gives a great opportunity to revive relationships or to add more passion to the daily routine. Very often we forget that love is something very precious and special. Sometimes we take our relationships for granted and wonder where did all the excitement go. It should never be difficult to show our partner that we love him or her. Celebrate love as often as you can. Add more passion to your life. It does not have to be St. Valentine's day to have a romantic breakfast in bed.
Saint Valentine's day gives a great opportunity to revive relationships or to add more passion to the daily routine. Very often we forget that love is something very precious and special. Sometimes we take our relationships for granted and wonder where did all the excitement go. It should never be difficult to show our partner that we love him or her. Celebrate love as often as you can. Add more passion to your life. It does not have to be St. Valentine's day to have a romantic breakfast in bed.
By Dominique Allmon
Sensual Gifts for St. Valentine's Day by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.