Valentines Proposal with a Famous Movie Love Quote
It is that time of year when love is in the air. In the lead up to February 14th individuals are planning special surprises for their loved one, the shops are full of cards and red hearts and florists and restaurants prepare themselves for profitable trading.
On the day lovers are married, gifts are given, flowers are delivered, couples go out on romantic nights and in some cases, the ultimate commitment is made, a proposal of marriage, but why? What is significant of February 14th and why do couples consider it the day to show their love for each other?
You may also be interested in our article on the Marriage Proposal
What is Valentine's Day?
According to the Catholic Encyclopaedia there were at least three early Saints with the name Valentine. It is said that all three of them were martyred on February 14th. However it is more widely believed that Valentine's Day is a celebration for a priest who lived in Rome under the emperor Claudius II in around 270 AD. At this time the Roman Empire had almost come to an end, there was frequent civil strife, taxation had increased, education declined and the empire was under crisis. More men were needed as soldiers and when Claudius became emperor he felt that married men were too attached to their families which made them emotional and weak. He therefore issued a law forbidding marriage, believing that single men had less attachments and made better quality soldiers.
Romans were shocked and unhappy with this ban on marriage but could not voice their protests against the mighty emperor Claudius. However, there was one bishop by the name of Valentine who helped couples, he saw the unhappiness of the people and of young couples losing hope of being united in marriage and decided to help them by performing secret marriage ceremonies. Claudius heard of the ceremonies being held by Valentine and ordered him to be arrested. Before sentencing, in his cell, Valentine befriended his jailer called Asterius and Asterius introduced Valentine to his blind daughter and asked if he could help restore her sight. It is believed that Valentine did indeed succeed in helping the blind daughter.
Claudius sentenced Valentine to death and Asterius's daughter was greatly saddened by this news as she had formed a deep friendship with Valentine. Just before his execution Valentine requested a pen and piece of paper and wrote a farewell note to his jailer's daughter which he finished with the line 'From Your Valentine'. Valentine was executed on February 14th 270 AD.
Pope Gelasius wished to honour this kindly bishop and February 14th became a day for lovers and Valentine became its Patron Saint. It became an annual tradition for young Romans to give handwritten messages of affection to the women they admired known as 'Valentines'. With the coming of Christianity February 14th became known as St. Valentine's Day.
By the Middle Ages Valentine was one of the most popular Saints in England and France. By the 18th Century gift giving and exchanging of hand made cards on February 14th had become common practice in England. In the 1840s Valentine's Day spread to the American colonies and today it is one of the major holidays in the United States and is a booming commercial success.
Other Beliefs around February 14th
There was a pagan tradition in the third Century known as 'The Feast of Lupercus'. Hungry wolves roamed outside of Rome and this was a problem for shepherds and their flocks. The God Lupercus was said to watch over the shepherds and their flocks to keep them safe. Each February Romans celebrated in a feast to honour Lupercus. During the feast of Lupercus Romans also used to honour the Goddess Juno Februata by putting the names of young women into a box which were then drawn by lot.
Men would playfully whip women with strips of animal hide and chase them around the town as it was believed that women who were 'whipped' were more fertile. Boys and girls who were matched would then be partners for the year, which began in the month of March. This tradition continued long after wolves were no longer a problem in Rome.
The Day the Birds Began to Mate
Europeans believed that on February 14th birds began to choose their mates, leading Chaucer to write in his 'Parliament of Foules', "For this was sent Valentine's Day when every foul cometh there to choose his mate". The tradition of birds choosing their mates on St. Valentine's Day led to the idea among Christians that boys and girls would do the same. When a boy drew a girls name he wore it on his sleeve (perhaps linked to the saying of 'wearing your heart on your sleeve'?) and they exchanged love tokens throughout the year. Later this was changed to only men giving tokens to females usually without names but signed 'with St. Valentine's Love'.
Famous Movie Love Quotes
Some of the greatest movies of all time are love stories. Shakespeare has written some of the most beautiful and heart wrenching tales ever told, and it is no surprise that many have been adapted to film. Whether they make you laugh, cry, or both, everyone has their favourite love story and many couples chose to quote from their favourite to each other in their Valentine's message or indeed their proposal of marriage. Some famous films and their quotes are:
- Four Weddings and a Funeral: "I always just hoped that, that I'd meet some nice friendly girl, like the look of her, hope the look of me didn't make her physically sick, then pop the question and... um... settle down and be happy. It worked for my parents. Well, apart from the divorce and all that!"
- Iris: "You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be."
- Jerry McGuire: "You had me at Hello."
- Meet Joe Black: "Take love, multiply it by infinity and take it to the depths of forever... and you still have only a glimpse of how I feel for you."
- My Best Friend's Wedding: "If you love someone you say it, you say it right then, out loud. Otherwise the moment just...passes you by..."
- Notting Hill: "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her."
- Runaway Bride: "I guarantee that we'll have tough times and I guarantee that at some point one or both of us will want to get out. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life cause I know in my heart you're the only one for me."
- The Cutting Edge: "Don't say we aren't right for each other, the way I see it is.. we aren't right for anyone else."
- The Hot Chick: "You are the only person that can make my heart beat faster and slower at the same time."
- When Harry Met Sally: "I love that you get cold when it is 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle in your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." Or "You can't express every feeling that you have every moment that you have them."
Of course some famous quotes have also come from films that are not love stories. Some lines are so poignant and expressive that people cannot fail to be touched by them. Who can forget the line in the Wizard of Oz "Remember my sentimental friend, you will be judged not by how much you love, but by how much you are loved."
For those lovers who struggle with expression, who just can't find the words to describe their love, affection and how they feel about that someone special, there are lots of other famous quotes that can be used or adapted to suit your relationship. What about:
- I dream about being with you forever - Twilight.
- In these dreams I've loved you so, that by now I think I know what it's like to be loved by you. I will love being loved by you - The King and I.
- The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return - Moulin Rouge.
- Storm clouds may gather and stars may collide, but I love you, until the end of time - Moulin Rouge.
- You make me want to be a better man - As Good As it Gets.
- If I tell you I love you, can I keep you forever? - Casper.
However you choose to express your love, whether it is with a card, with a love message, flowers, jewellery or indeed a proposal of marriage, couples across the world will be celebrating Valentine's Day this February 14th in their own special way. Many will not realise that it is because of a Roman priest who fought for love and for the right of lovers to be together that Valentine's Day is the day to show those you care how much they mean to you.
To say those special, meaningful words that initiate love affairs or indeed cement love already declared. Many of those words chosen or inspired by something someone once said on the big screen! Enjoy your Valentine's Day and enjoy being with your Valentine!
