by Amy Adams Elterman (Author)
This delightful crossword puzzle book encompasses the love theme for Valentine's Day - or any day. The origins of Valentine's Day has a few different versions. One origin of the festival says that in the 3rd century, a Roman emperor, Claudius II, beheaded a man named Valentine for marrying couples against the emperor's orders. This was because Claudius II believed that single soldiers made better fighters than married ones and Valentine wanted to save them from war. In another version, an ancient pre-Roman festival called Lupercalia, celebrating the rites of spring, was changed to St. Valentine's Day by Pope Gelasius in the 5th century, a festival that included fertility rites and the matching up of lovers. Finally, by the 14th century, it became the day of romance similar to what we celebrate today. So enjoy these love-filled crossword puzzles while you ponder the origins of St. Valentine's Day