Valentine’s Day stands out during busy month of February

February brings us several notable holidays, commemorations and celebrations — including National Freedom Day, Black History Month, Groundhog Day, Super Bowl Sunday and Presidents’ Day — but one celebration that has stood longer than the others is Valentine’s Day.

The celebration of love and romance — Valentine’s Day, though less important than some of the commemorations, is perhaps the more visible and celebrated day in February. That’s because before we got to the first day of February we were already hearing or seeing advertisements about Valentine’s Day — cards, flowers and chocolate and many other symbols of love.

While it has largely been commercialized, we thought Valentine’s Day would be a good time to look at some enduring love stories. We will tell you in several short articles about those love stories. Check them out in this issue of Senior Life.

What is Valentine’s Day and why is it so popular?

Who it is attributed to is a mystery because three different Saint Valentines are mentioned as the namesakes of the celebration. In any case, the true legend behind Valentine’s Day is murky at best. However, it is no doubt the day when love and romance is celebrated in much of the world.

If you go out for a Valentine’s Day dinner or at any other time for that matter, you might be offered to look at the restaurant menu on QR code on your phone instead of a printed list. If the QR code to see the menu is on the table, you are probably better off using it than the paper menu. That’s because a lot of people handled the printed menu, which is rarely cleaned in some restaurants. What is a QR code, you say? We explain it all in a story in this edition of Senior Life.

In this edition, you can also read about a local dog trainer who is nationally certified. She shares her experience in training companion dogs.

Did you know there is a veterans court in Brevard County. The court is offered to military veterans who might get in trouble because of post-traumatic stress disorder or other reasons, but are not habitual offenders. The court offers counseling, mentorship and, in some cases, alternatives to incarceration. A great majority of those veterans who go through the system graduate to a better life and go on to success.

I mentioned that there are a lot of activities, celebrations and commemorations in February. Be sure to check our calendar of events for the other happenings not mentioned in our stories. We like hearing from readers, so stay in touch. SL

R. Norman Moody norm@myseniorlife.com