St. Valentine's Day

ancient-  very old

bow and arrow-  used for shooting (like the picture on the left)

shoot-  make something fly through the air (Shoot a gun.  Shoot an arrow.)

character-  a person (but usually not real) like a person in a book or in a movie

fall in love-  begin to love another person

celebrate-  do something fun (like a party or something special)

Valentine's Day is a very old holiday.  It goes back to the times of Ancient Rome.  One of the characters we often see on Valentine's Day is Cupid.  He was the son of Venus, the goddess of love.  He shoots people with arrows of love.  When a man and a woman are hit by his arrows, they will fall in love.

Today people celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14.  Men and women who are in love give each other gifts.  The most popular gifts include flowers (especially roses) and chocolates.  Couples may also go to a restaurant for a very nice dinner or plan something else romantic.