Pujah Posted February 14, 2007 The Shape of My Heart Where did the ubiquitous Valentine's symbol come from? By Keelin McDonell Posted Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2007, at 5:20 PM ET Americans will dole out countless Valentine's Day paraphernalia today, a good portion of which will be in the shape of hearts. In an "Explainer" column printed last year and reproduced below, Keelin McDonell attempted to track down the origin of the Valentine's Day symbol and explain how it got its familiar shape. It's Valentine's Day, and as usual, people are presenting their loved ones with heart-shaped cards, candy, and trinkets. How did the heart shape become the symbol of true love? Nobody's quite sure, but it might have to do with a North African plant. During the seventh century B.C., the city-state of Cyrene* had a lucrative trade in a rare, now-extinct plant: silphium. Although it was mostly used for seasoning, silphium was reputed to have an off-label use as a form of birth control. The silphium was so important to Cyrene's economy that coins were minted that depicted the plant's seedpod, which looks like the heart shape we know today. The theory goes that the heart shape first became associated with sex, and eventually, with love. Continue Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
me Posted February 14, 2007 My heart is blue and it has a star in the middle, I declare my undying love to Somalia. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pujah Posted February 14, 2007 ^LOL, I have traded mine for Red White and Blue Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
