Love MORE this Valentine’s Day

Either you LOVE it or you don’t. Most people want to “love more” on Valentine’s Day while others feel the commercialization of the day degrades the experience they hope to create. Whatever your opinion on the matter, we see it as an opportunity to spread more love in our community and beyond. And we have a few (or 14 to be exact) ways you can do that with us, but first let’s take a look at how this holiday may have originated.

Valentine’s Day, celebrated on February 14th, is shrouded in legend and history, with its origins steeped in both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. The day is named after St. Valentine, a mysterious figure who is often associated with romantic love thanks to the various myths associated with him, all suggestive of his sympathetic, heroic, and—most importantly—romantic character.

One legend has it that Valentine was a priest in third-century Rome who defied Emperor Claudius II’s ban on marriage for young soldiers, secretly performing weddings for young lovers instead. When his defiance was discovered, Valentine was martyred. Another suggests he helped Christians escape the harsh Roman prisons.

Over time, mid-February was associated with love and fertility, in part due to the pagan festival of Lupercalia, which was celebrated at this time. By the Middle Ages, Valentine became one of the most popular saints in England and France, and by the 18th century, exchanging tokens of affection or handwritten notes became commonplace.

Today, Valentine’s Day has evolved into a global celebration where people express love and affection through the exchange of cards, chocolates, flowers, and other tokens of affection. We see it as an opportunity to spread love in our community by doing simple things that show others we care. It was also 6 years ago, mid-February when we first launched the Love Livermore group as an initiative to create a greater sense of connection, and to become a resource for Livermorons, Livermorians, and all lovers of Livermore.

So help us celebrate Love Livermore’s 6th Anniversary (and Valentine’s Day) for 14 days! Starting February 1st, we will focus on one simple way to spread or share love each day leading up to Valentine’s Day. Let’s love more together and contribute to the connection and good vibes found here in Livermore.

Thank you for choosing to LOVE MORE with us. Our goal with this challenge was to foster love and respect for others in our community. Respect is a feeling or expression of admiration and consideration toward someone or something due to their qualities, abilities, achievements, or worth. It involves treating others with kindness, courtesy, and civility. It means we acknowledge their rights, views, and feelings, even when they differ from your own. In essence, respect means recognizing the inherent value in others and honoring their individuality.

We love you Livermore and you make us proud!

xoxo
Nicole & Robyn

Longtime Livermore local, mom of 2, wife to Reggie, loves cycling and racing Ironman triathlons, and is a 2nd generation full-time Realtor passionate about helping her clients love where they live, even more.