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Show The Feeling's Still The San,e Valentine's Day: From Ancient Times To Present, holiday that person ;i studied, however, Goeller and Braun emphasized thai Valentine's Day is simply a plain, old- - fashioned out of will never go style, since it's so associated with romance and love. A jaded to these basicesP( feelings and 03 agreed. Is romance dead? Far from it. It's alive and well and living in the hearts of everyone who loves and needs to be loved, if Valentine's Day is any indication. In fact, the occasion ranks second only to Christ-mas as a card-sellin- g holiday. ; During this national love-i- on February 14, most people would be hardpressed to explain the origin responsible for their heart-to-hea-exchange of cards, candy and flowers. According to Dr. Lee W. Gibbs, acting chairman of the department of religious studies at Cleveland State University, St. Valentine is com memorated primarily in North America and Britian. "There were at least eight men with the name Valentine, seven of whose religious feast days fall on February 14," said Gibbs. "One of the most credible legends dates back to around 269 A.D., when Valentine, a priest in Rome, defied Emperor Claudius II's belief that single men made better soldiers. The priest, thinking this attitude was unfair, joined several couples in matrimony." Valentine was swiftly sent to prison, where he eventually died. Friends buried his body in a churchyard. Despite the number of Valentine legends, common themes linking them all involve com-passion, martyrdom or the passing of love notes between the bars of prison windows. In 469 A.D., Pope Gelasius named February 14 as St. Valentine's Day. This new Christian holiday gradually became a time for exchanging love messages, with St. Valentine emerging as the patron saint of courtship and lovers, explained Gibbs. People in England were probably sending Valentine greetings as early as the 1400's. By around 1800 the first commercial Valentine cards appeared, featuring fine paper, ribbon and lace, and love symbols, such as doves, cupids, flowers and bleeding hearts. Traditional artwork and sentiments on Valentine cards still remain everpopular, although contemporary adaptations are in-creasing in acceptance. Studio and humorous cards, also known as "slams," are ideal for exchanging Valentine messages without undue sentimentality, ac-cording to James Semon, assistant vice president of marketing at Cleveland-base- d American Greetings Corp. "Slam cards are slightly derogatory in a humorous, chiding fashion," said Semon. "Artwork more far-out- ." A typical verse might read: ; A Valentine for my husband. . . Lots of women marry a guy ... and then try to change him, but not me, honey: I love you just the way you are ... but don't get any worse! Happy Valentine's Day, honey! "The first slams were quite horrible," said Carl Goeller, editorial director of American Greetings. "They were directed at wives who didn't take care of their husbands, obesity and other human weaknesses to be ex-ploited." During World War II, slams became even more intense, with a "get even" tone reflecting the strong patriotism and clear-cu- t good vs. bad nature of the times. This cynical trend continued throughout the Mc- Carthy era of the early 1950's. If Valentine's Day is any barometer of shifting social values, the decade of the '80's looks like a return to romance and tradition. The more conservative mood of the country is reflected, for example, in the resurgence of the preppy look in dressing, high school proms and other "square" customs. What accounts for this shift to the traditional? "Perhaps the country is settling down and changing from a 'me' to an 'us' generation," Goeller observed. "Kids today are more realistic and are focusing their attention pursuits and day-to-da- y existence v rather than causes. There's also an increase in the number of people in the 20 to 35 year-ol- d bracket." Goeller noted that today's conservative mood is in some ways a return to the Andy Hardy era, when movies were filled with happy days and happy en-dings. "President Ronald Reagan, for instance, brought a lot of happy endings to movies. Valentien's Day is seen as a way to re-enter the traditional ' social mainstream." No matter how much Valentine's Day is jBI Microwave Oven Hfil $10 0FF 1 Hj:iP &-.W30- .1 nJ "Quick Bread Mix" FREE to the first 40 customers on President's Day All Freezers $50 Off m 5 cu. ft. Upright C0QQ M If Freezer, Reg. $288" I 10 cu. ft. Chest COQQ oo I 1 Freezer, Reg. $348. 1.1 J 13 cu. ft. Upright coco 75 iJMM Freezer, Reg. $402." N 16 cu. ft. Upright oo ' Freezer, Reg. $435." fc63. ! 19 cu. ft. Upright wNsSV-Freezer, Reg. $499.95 $449. 20.8 cu. ft. Upright Freezer, Reg. $474.M $425. 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