481. The ancient Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia, a precursor to Valentine's Day, but it was a very different day indeed. Activities included drinking, sacrificing of goats and hitting people. Why do you think the Romans celebrated such a strange holiday?
482. Valentine's Day merged with Lupercalia and eventually with a more romantic holiday called Galatin's Day. Imagine that you could combine several different holidays together. Which ones would you choose and why?
483. The holiday didn't become associated with romance until the author Geoffrey Chaucer connected the holiday with love in a poem. Imagine that you had the power to change the way something worked just by writing it in a poem. What would you want to change and why?
484. Paper valentines have been discovered from as far back as the late 1400s. Describe what you think a nearly 600-year-old valentine might look like. How would it look different from the valentines used today?
485. One of the first poems to state that "roses are red and violets are blue" was written by Edmund Spenser in 1590. Create a poem using that famous line that ends in a surprising way.
486. Factory-made valentines began circulating in England in the early 19th century and eventually spread to the United States. What do you think it was that made these cards so popular for people to send to one another? Have such cards lost their value in a time of e-mail and technology? Why or why not?
487. These valentines were nearly all handwritten with notes and poems. What kind of note might you want to write to someone you really care about and why?
488. Now Hallmark makes millions of dollars selling valentines during a very commercialized holiday. Do you think that valentines should be more personal or that it's OK to buy cards that are mass-produced? Why do you feel that way?
489. Along with the cards, many give their loved ones chocolate and other gifts on Valentine's Day. What kind of gift would you want from a loved one for the holiday? Why?
490. Some people without a significant other on Valentine's Day refer to the holiday as Single Awareness Day. What do you think the term "single awareness day" means and why would people want to celebrate it?
Use the above prompts or article as inspiration to write a story or other short piece.
