Valentines Day

Every year I have celebrated Valentines Day with giving gifts, candy, flowers, and chocolates to all my loved ones. I have also celebrated Valentines Day with Anti-Valentines Day parties; where my single friends and I would get together for dinner and a movie.
In grammar school I learned a little bit about the history of Valentines Day but I never could remember it. I always celebrated it but never knew the reason behind it; so I figured some ESL students might not understand it either. The legend I remember was that Valentine was a priest who served during third century Rome. There was an Emperor at that time by the name of Claudius II. Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those that were married. With this thought in mind he outlawed marriage for young men in hopes of building a stronger military base. Valentine decided that this wasn't fair and chose to marry young couples secretly. When Emperor Claudius II found out about Valentine's actions he had him put to death.
There are other legends about Valentines Day and we will probably never know the truth behind it. I think that having a day to show our loved ones how much we care is a perfect idea.

VOCABULARY:

Valentines Day: February 14- in honor of St. Valentine and as a time for exchanging valentines
Celebrate: to observe in some special way
Anti-: opposite in kind, position, or action
Single: being alone
History: a story of real or imaginary events
Legend: a story coming down from the past whose truth is popularly accepted but cannot be checked
Priest: a person who has the authority to lead or perform religious ceremonies
Emperor: The word emperor is a general word for a ruler having total control of a country or region.
Outlawed: to make illegal
Military: of or relating to the army
Secretly: hidden or kept from knowledge or view

SENTENCES:

1) I _________________ took the movie from my brother so he wouldn’t yell.
2) My family ___________________ Valentines Day by having a huge dinner with a lot of deserts.
3) ____________________ is celebrated on February 14th.
4) My brother joined the _________________ in order to defend his country.
5) Some people hate being _______________ on Valentines Day
6) My sister decided to have a _____- Valentines Day party.
7) Along time ago many _______________ ruled the land.
8) What is the _____________ of your family?
9) Mellissa read a story about a _______________ who defended his whole country with only 300 men.
10) The government _____________ driving until you are 17 years old.
11) The ________________ in my Church read the Gospel during mass.

GRAMMAR POINT & ASSIGNMNET:

During some points in my paragraphs I wrote in the past tense.

Past tense: is when a verb is used to express an action or a condition that occurred in or during the past.
Ex: Every year I have celebrated Valentines Day with giving gifts, candy, flowers, and chocolates to all my loved ones. I have also celebrated Valentines Day with Anti-Valentines Day parties; where my single friends and I would get together for dinner and a movie.

Assignment: Write five sentences about what you have done on Valentines Day in the past.

VIDEO: about the History of Valentines Day

http://www.history.com/video.do?name=valentinesday&bcpid=6555686001&bclid=1672160848&bctid=1407959235