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Pink hearts, red roses, love notes, and chocolates are everywhere right now because Valentine’s Day is around the corner. February 14 is considered lover’s day and people around the world celebrate in the name of St. Valentine.

So why is February 14, considered the day of romantic love?

According to History.com “Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial — which probably occurred around A.D. 270 — others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia.  Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Christianity but was outlawed — as it was deemed “un-Christian.” At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day.”

The roots of Valentine’s Day may be religious but the religious aspects of the holiday has been stripped away and it’s now a day that people exchange cards, flowers, chocolates, and greetings with their family, friends and lovers.

Around the world,  it’s called different things. In Finland it’s called “Friend’s day”, in India “Sweetheart’s day”, and in Britain it used to be called the “Birds’ Wedding Day.”

It’s also celebrated in various ways. In Denmark people send Snowdrops which are pressed white flowers to their friends and lovers, and in Italy small, chocolate-covered hazelnuts with a romantic quote attached in 4 languages is called Baci Perugina are given exclusively to lovers.

Do you have any interesting customs to celebrate this day of love?  Please leave a comment below.

Happy Valentine’s Day to our great community!

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Photo by lonecellotheory

Whether you celebrate Easter or not, there’s one thing about this time of the year that everyone can take advantage of: the candy.

And nothing says Easter like the marshmallow-y and sugary sweet treat, Peeps.

But did you know that scientists have actually proven that these sugary sweet delights are essentially indestructible. It’s true. You can read about it here.

Scientists aren’t the only ones with a fierce fascination with these sparkly, sweet treats—the Answers community has one too—you all have asked questions about these sweet delights, ranging from things like “Do different colored peeps have different flavors?” to “Is there religious significance in the candy called Peeps?”

People are fascinated by these gooey, sparkly treats—why, we find ways to celebrate them in a variety of ways: through costumes, “Peep Show Dioramas” hosted by the Washington Post, and even through Do-it-Yourself Peep recipes.

Yes, it’s safe to say that come Easter, no matter what religion you are, you’re bound to pick up or come across a box of Peeps—even if it’s just to toss them in the microwave to watch them expand exponentially. Enjoy, and don’t forget to come back here and share your favorite Peep recipes and questions with the Answers community!

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