Nowadays, online dating is one of the most popular ways to meet people for fun and romance. Even a few years ago, most of the dating articles recommended staying away from the Internet. They said that the lack of assurance that the person you connect with is who they say they are made Internet dating a bad choice. The popularity of Internet dating sites, however, has changed all of this. You can find dating websites for almost any interest. Whether you’re just looking for a casual relationship or have some specific spiritual, lifestyle or other needs, there is someone out there for you who is just a few mouse clicks away.

Of course, most of the dating articles that I have read still advocate being careful. The biggest difference between Internet dating and dating someone you meet in person is that there is less room for instincts with an online relationship. You don’t have the same chance to feel someone out and see if they are who they say they are. This means that, when you first meet, you should do it in a careful way. Most of the serious dating articles agree that online dating is one of the best ways to meet people, but as always, common sense is required.

This means that you should meet in a public place for the first time. The online dating articles I have read all agree that, no matter how trustworthy someone seems from a distance, you should still be careful the very first time you meet them. After all, there is always time later to get more intimately acquainted. Your first date should be something casual, such as a meeting in a coffee shop or restaurant. That way you can get a feel for each other in public. If it turns out to be awkward or if something is setting off your warning bells, you can always call it off.

Of course, any good article on dating will tell you that there are some other pitfalls to online relationships. About the most important things to realize is that it is easy to get the wrong impression from someone over the Internet. After all, with distance between you, each person has the ability to try to give the other person the best impression and to form an unrealistic opinion of the other as well. The good news is that the Internet allows you to chat with so many local singles that you are bound to meet someone who is a good match!

Every February 14th, people across the world send greetings of love and friendship celebrating Valentines Day. Candy and flowers are popular gifts, expressing our love and esteem of the recipients. Schoolchildren also take part in this yearly exchange cards with heart and cupid motifs. Everyone knows this day as the romantic holiday of the year. Do you know the story behind the tradition? Who is this elusive figure known as St. Valentine?

Valentine was a Catholic priest who lived in Rome during the 3rd century. Claudius II was the reigning Emperor of Rome at the time, and was having trouble recruiting men into his army, as they were often dispatched to far off lands, and were so separated from their wives and families. Men were reluctant, unwilling to endure this separation from their loved ones.

Frustrated and angry, the Emperor Claudius concluded that unmarried men would have nothing to lose and therefore be more willing recruits. His solution to the problem was to decree that marriage for young men be outlawed. This did not sit well with the young men and those in love found the humble priest Valentine more than willing to perform the marriage sacraments for the ardent lovers in secret. Unfortunately, Valentine was found out and arrested by Claudius. He was thrown into prison and sentenced to death. A sympathetic prison guard allowed his young daughter to visit the unfortunate Valentine and it’s said they became fast friends. Just before his death sentence was carried out, legend holds that Valentine presented her with a letter, signed “from your Valentine”. That simple greeting was the forerunner of today’s Valentines Day.

The Vatican eventually declared Valentine a Saint. In 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius I declared the date of his death in 270 A.D., February 14th, St. Valentine’s Day, a day to express sentiments of love and romance, celebrating the power of the spirit over the material world. By the Middle Ages, St. Valentines Day was one of the most popular European celebrations of the year. While imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415, Charles, the Duke of Orleans, sent his wife a card on St. Valentines Day, a practice that continues to this day.

All over Europe enthusiastic lovers devised various gifts and practices to express their devotion to their lovers on Valentines Day. In Wales, wooden spoons were carved with hearts and keys to show how the recipient could unlock their heart. All over Europe, names were drawn from bowls and then pinned to their sleeves to declare their love to their chosen Valentine. Men offered gifts of clothing to their loved ones. When the woman accepted, they were then betrothed.

Although these customs did not survive, this unofficial holiday is today one of the favorite holidays of the year. Today, we send cards and present candy and flowers to our loved ones. Romantic candlelight dinners are enjoyed by lovers around the world. We all have the good St. Valentine to thank for this lovely celebration. Love is indeed sublime.