No one knows for sure where and when St. Valentines Day was invented or instated. Some say it comes from Roman times where a feast day, in February, was celebrated in honor of a saint who protected flocks of sheep and shepherds alike.
On this day, young girls would enter their names into a pot for young men to draw out. For the following year the man would take care of the girl and they became a sort of matched pair.
This practice was considered to be heathen so the Christian church substituted saints names for the girls names. Each young man would emulate the qualities of his chosen saint for the coming year. This lasted for some time but eventually, girls names were used again.
St. Valentine himself was thought to be an amalgamation of seven men named Valentine who existed way back before the fifth century.
One story has Valentine being a priest who, on hearing that the Emperor of Rome had banned marriages and engagements because men were loath to leave their families and go off to war, decided to marry these lovers in secret. Eventually he was thrown into jail and left to die.
Another such story has another Valentine being jailed. While there he fell in love with the jailers daughter and would send her missives signed from your Valentine. Yet another story says that Valentine, having been jailed, cured someone of blindness and he was feted for this miracle.
All of these Valentines stories, though unproven, goaded the church into declaring February 14th as St. Valentines Day and was to be celebrated by lovers everywhere by sending love notes to each other.
Of course, this custom has evolved down through the centuries and nowadays many people use the day to show any loved one that they care about them. Indeed, many people sign the card or give the gift freely instead of anonymously as was originally intended.
Many would say that this has spoiled the suspense but some people want the recipient to know exactly who sent the gift. As the old saying goes, you dont want someone reaping where they didnt sew!
The usual favorites for this day are the perennial chocolates sweets for my sweet and flowers and many outlets offer these. Jewelry too is another firm favorite along with a candle-lit, intimate dinner where the loving couple can whisper sweet nothings to each other without disturbance.
In Victorian times love trysts were scowled upon so amorous young men would send a piece of jewelry with a hidden message. One item was a pin in the shape of a bee made from gold and precious or semi-precious stones. The message in this was bee sure of my love. Another would be a piece with multi-colored stones of which the initials would spell out secret messages.
Nowadays people are far more adventurous and will often give very intimate gifts, lingerie being one such item. The only problem here is which to pick?
With so much to choose from your first decision must be sizing of the garment. Do a little detective work and look at labels if you are already intimate with the lady of course! If you are not, get a lady friend to gage your intendeds size. Dont forget that most outlets operate a returns policy but not where underwear is concerned.
Then think of the color. Red, naturally, is the preferred choice for this day but not everyone suits the color. Look at her skin tone and decide. If you cant decide, ask for help.
Many women will feel flattered by receiving
intimate apparel even if you get the size completely wrong but with a little care you should be able to assess accurately.
Now you have to choose what to buy. Do you want a beautiful, elegant nightgown with matching negligee or would you prefer something a little more daring?
Many websites offer
corsets, suspender belts, lacy bras, Basques and the like along with g-strings, thongs and bikini style panties. Even boy shorts have come into fashion and look great on most women.
What about a stretch lace camisole set complete with matching stockings? This set comes with heart shapes cut into the lace and would be ideal for Valentines Day. Or there are tight, tube style dresses in flaming red that leave very little to the imagination. Try a flirty, frilly, baby-doll nightdress set with matching thong or a lacy garter set, again with matching thong.
Playing dress up games may be your idea of surprising someone on Valentines Day and there is also a wide selection available. Sexy French maids outfits, little devils or naughty nurses are just some of the outfits of offer. Whatever you choose - and it could be a complete underwear outfit in leather complete with peep-hole bra and laced Basque! are available for your enjoyment.
Ladies also shop for this kind of intimate apparel to gift their men on special occasions. Imagine your gift to him is some kind of naughty outfit that is revealed on the night of Valentines Day as you retire to bed. He will be astounded and pleasantly surprised that you took the time and energy to surprise him in this way. In other words, it is a win, win situation for both people to share.
The choice is virtually endless and the good thing about some sites is that all sizes are catered for. It used to be that these items were only provided in the smaller ranges but manufacturers have woken up to the fact that many women dont fit into these standard sizes.
The great thing about shopping online for this kind of intimate apparel, especially for men, is that you dont have to be embarrassed about going into a shop and facing shop assistants. They deliver to your door at a small extra charge and you can browse to your hearts content until you find just the right item. Happy Valentines Day!
