Feb 11, 2007 - 03:58:23 CST
In about 72 hours, candy, kisses and words of love will exchanged in an annual ritual that dates back centuries.Valentine's Day has a history and tradition that reads like a good novel. There is love, intrigue, death, politics and, in the end, a happy ending.
Listed below are some Web sites that offer excellent background information on Valentine's Day, as well as a few sites that can help you celebrate the day appropriately as it pertains to your significant other:
History of Valentine's Day
www.history.com/minisites/valentine
From The History Channel, an interesting overview of the day and its origins. Features several videos about the holiday, love in general and more.
Valentine's Day
www.theholidayspot.com/valentine
Learn how to say "I Love You" in dozens of languages ("Ta gra agam ort," in Gaelic; "Aloha wau ia oi," in Hawaiian). Learn the history of Valentine's Day and Cupid. Get gift ideas, send electronic greeting cards, find poems and recipes and more.
E-Cards
www.123greetings.com/events/valentines_day
Choose from hundreds of Valentine's Day cards, from traditional to fun to animated. Personalize a card and deliver it to the e-mail address of your beau.
How Stuff Works: Valentine
people.howstuffworks.com/valentine.htm
A good assortment of articles, history and trivia related to Valentine's Day.
NECCO Sweethearts Candy
www.necco.com
www.infoplease.com/spot/candyhearts1.html
A history of the popular heart shaped hard candy with little messages printed on one side. A Valentine's Day tradition dating back to the Civil War, the sayings are changed each year to reflect the times. Among the 2007 sayings: "Cool Cat," "Bear Hug," "Love Bird" and "Purr Fect."
The Candy Depot
www.candy4u.com
Known for having the largest selection of candy on the Web, this site has something for every occasion. It's a perfect "Plan B" when hunting for sweets for your sweetheart - check your local shops first for your valentine's candy. Then, if you still can't find what you want, go here.
Valentine's Card Museum
www.emotionscards.com/museum/vals.html
Written Valentine's Day cards date back to the 1400s. This site shows examples of actual cards going back to the 1800s. Check it out - you'll be surprised by how much and how little Valentine's greetings have changed over the centuries.
Cleaning out the digital file folder
An assortment of unrelated Web sites of interest I've come across and jotted down on napkins, sticky notes, scraps of paper, candy wrappers, business cards and any other ink acceptable surface in my humble effort to share with you:
Swivel
www.swivel.com
If you like data, various graphs and looking for correlations between seemingly unrelated data, this site is for you. Since its launch in December 2006, Swivel has become a data YouTube, where people upload interesting charts and stats on just about every topic imaginable. I like the stats that show, historically, the football team that travels the longest distance from home to the Super Bowl location usually wins. It held true for Super Bowl XVI: The Indianapolis Colts were farther away in miles from the game in Miami than the Chicago Bears. The Colts won.
YouTube: Superbowl Ads
www.youtube.com/browse?s=sb
If you missed any of the Super Bowl commercials during the game, you can catch them here at YouTube. Numerous people dutifully recorded and uploaded every commercial aired as well as rejected versions of the ads and funny outtakes. Because people can rate the videos, you can tell at a glance which commercials are among the favorites of those visiting YouTube. Check it out.
Beat Your Risk
www.beatyourrisk.com
Are you at risk for a heart attack? This site, from the American Heart Association and several pharmaceutical companies, will help you answer the question. High blood pressure is a key risk factor for heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease. A short test will help you determine your risk and what you can do to minimize your risk. You'll need your blood pressure information to complete the quiz, so have it handy or get it measured before taking the test.
(Keith Darnay is the webmaster and designer for bismarck- tribune.com. His Web site, featuring this column going back to 1995, is at www.darnay.com.iec.)
Comments are reviewed for taste, tone and language before posting.
Some comments may be used in the Tribune's print edition.