Valentine's Day...Why and What Else?

     So Tuesday is Valentine's Day.  Here's little about the history of Valentine's Day: It's thought to have originated during the time an emperor of Rome banned soldiers from marrying; he thought it was too distracting for them.  A priest by the name of Valentine defied the ban and secretly performed wedding ceremonies.  Valentine was caught and executed on...you guessed it...February 14th.  It's also traced back farther to pagan beliefs. 
    Following the Weight Watchers program and leading meetings got me to thinking, "Why do give candy, especially chocolate, on Valentine's Day?"  Surfed the web a little and learned a few things.  One is that doctors in the 1800's prescribed chocolate to their lovesick patients to calm their nerves and emotions.  So I guess chocolate is just naturally the "go to" gift to make people feel well loved.  The candy tradition is also said to be tied to Richard Cadbury who made the first Valentine's Day candy box.  Okay, so if you have to have chocolate or your Valentine's Day wouldn't be complete, let me suggest Whitman's Weight Watchers chocolate candy.

     This brings me to my next question:  What else could be given as a Valentine's Day gift in lieu of chocolate?  Having severe allergies keeps me from recommending fresh flowers.  However, a plant that will last a while with a cute, whimsical decoration stuck in the planter would be great.  What are some other alternatives?  There was a good article (Healthy Valentine's Day Candy Alternatives for Your Loved Ones) that suggested a creative fruit basket.  Time during a special planned day was another good suggestion.
     It seems that most of the gift suggestions found for Valentine's Day center around women.  There are a few gifts that I think would be appropriate for guys, also.  The two mentioned above could be enjoyed by both guys and girls.  A pair of movie tickets would also fit into the category.  How about an alternative to flower bouquets?  Try a gift card bouquet.  For the fisherman:  a lure bouquet.  For the person who loves to chew gum, fix a sugar free gum bouquet of as many different types of gum as you can find. Find out what the recipent likes, and make a bouquet to reflect it.
      Don't use Valentine's Day as an excuse to over do it on chocolate.  Exercise self control, or go for an alternative to food.  I've always thought that the gift didn't mean as much as the person giving it.  The fact that a person took the time to do something special for you says that you are loved.  You can enjoy the day and stay healthy!

Articles you might want to read about Valentine's Day:
     The History of Valentine's Day Candy
     History of Valentine's Day